Poll: Stabenow holds 9 point lead in Michigan Senate race

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) holds a 9-point lead over challenger John James (R) with a little more than a week left until Election Day, according to a poll released Monday.

An Emerson College poll found Stabenow leading James 52 percent to 43 percent among likely voters in the state. That margin is a little larger than an Epic-MRA poll last week that showed the incumbent leading by 7 points.

James holds a 49-percent-to-46-percent edge over Stabenow among men surveyed in Monday’s poll. The Democrat maintains a sizable lead — 58 percent to 37 percent — among women voters, according to the poll.

{mosads}Half of those surveyed have a positive view of Stabenow, compared to 39 percent who have an unfavorable view.

James has a 44 percent favorability rating, while 27 percent of voters view him unfavorably.

Monday’s poll surveyed 822 likely voters from Oct. 24-26 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

Its results track closely with a RealClearPolitics average of polls,, which show Stabenow with a 7.3 percentage point lead. Her lead was previously at double digits, but has leveled off in recent weeks.

The national GOP has rallied around James, a veteran and business owner, in his bid to unseat Stabenow, who is seeking a fourth term. Vice President Pence has made multiple appearances in Michigan to bolster his candidacy, and President Trump endorsed James.

Democrats likely need to retain the seat if they have any hope of taking back the upper chamber. Michigan is one of 10 states won by President Trump in 2016 that features a Democratic incumbent running for reelection.

Trump won the state in the 2016 election by roughly 10,000 votes.