Whitmer trailing GOP challenger by 6 points in Michigan governor race: poll

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) trails former Detroit Police Chief James Craig by 6 points in a hypothetical general election match-up, according to a poll released this week. 

The survey from the GOP-leaning Trafalgar Group shows Craig, a Republican, leading Whitmer 50.4 percent to 44.4 percent among likely general election voters. Another 5.2 percent of respondents remain undecided. 

Craig, who retired as Detroit police chief in June after nearly eight years on the job, announced his campaign for governor earlier this month at the urging of top Michigan Republicans. 

He’s one of nine Republicans vying to oust Whitmer, who has drawn the ire of the right for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in her state. 

An EPIC-MRA poll of the race released last month before Craig formally launched his campaign showed him running even with Whitmer, notching 44 percent support to her 45 percent. 

Trafalgar Group, an Atlanta-based firm founded by veteran Republican strategist Robert Cahaly, made a name for itself in 2016 when its polls correctly portended former President Trump’s victory at a time when most surveys showed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton prevailing.

In 2020, however, Trafalgar Group’s polls showed Trump leading President Biden in the run-up to the election in key states, including Michigan. Biden ultimately carried Michigan by nearly 3 percentage points.

The Trafalgar Group poll surveyed 1,097 likely general election voters in Michigan from Sept. 13 to Sept. 15. It has a margin of sampling error of 2.96 percentage points.