Michigan Poll: Fall 2026 Results
Full results from a survey of 600 likely Michigan voters on the races for governor, U.S. Senate and statewide office, the candidates, and the issues.
Michigan Enjoyer Poll · Conducted by Cygnal in conjunction with Beacon Research · Sept. 18–21, 2026 · 600 likely voters · ±4.0 percentage points
Key findings
- Democrats lead all four statewide races, but no candidate reaches 46 percent.
- Jocelyn Benson leads John James 45 to 38 for governor; Abdul El-Sayed leads Mike Rogers 45 to 40 for U.S. Senate.
- The undecided share grows down the ballot, from 11 percent for governor to 24 percent for attorney general.
- Inflation and the cost of living is the top issue at 24 percent, followed by threats to democracy at 18 percent.
- Of eight political figures tested, only Benson is viewed more favorably than unfavorably (42 to 40).
The races
1. Governor
If the general election for Governor were held today, and you had to make a choice, who would you vote for?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Jocelyn Benson (Democratic) | 45% | |
| Definitely | 34% | |
| Probably | 12% | |
| John James (Republican) | 38% | |
| Definitely | 29% | |
| Probably | 9% | |
| Anthony Hudson (Libertarian) | 3% | |
| Douglas Campbell (Green) | 1% | |
| Donna Brandenburg (U.S. Taxpayers) | <1% | |
| Undecided | 11% |
2. U.S. Senate
If the general election for U.S. Senate were held today, and you had to make a choice, who would you vote for?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Abdul El-Sayed (Democratic) | 45% | |
| Definitely | 36% | |
| Probably | 9% | |
| Mike Rogers (Republican) | 40% | |
| Definitely | 31% | |
| Probably | 9% | |
| Lydia Christensen (Libertarian) | 1% | |
| Walter P. Kristy (Natural Law) | <1% | |
| Tim Long (U.S. Taxpayers) | <1% | |
| Douglas P. Marsh (Green) | 0% | |
| Undecided | 13% |
3. Secretary of State
If the general election for Secretary of State were held today, and you had to make a choice, who would you vote for?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Garlin Gilchrist (Democratic) | 41% | |
| Definitely | 31% | |
| Probably | 11% | |
| Anthony Forlini (Republican) | 38% | |
| Definitely | 27% | |
| Probably | 11% | |
| Undecided | 20% |
4. Attorney General
If the general election for Attorney General were held today, and you had to make a choice, who would you vote for?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Eli Savit (Democratic) | 39% | |
| Definitely | 28% | |
| Probably | 11% | |
| Doug Lloyd (Republican) | 37% | |
| Definitely | 27% | |
| Probably | 10% | |
| Undecided | 24% |
5. Michigan House (generic ballot)
If the election was held today, and you had to make a choice, would you vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate for Michigan House of Representatives?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic candidate | 46% | |
| Definitely | 39% | |
| Probably | 7% | |
| Republican candidate | 40% | |
| Definitely | 35% | |
| Probably | 5% | |
| Unsure | 14% |
The candidates
6. Favorability
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following?
| Item | Favorable | Unfavorable | No opinion | Never heard of | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jocelyn BensonDemocratic nominee for governor | 42% | 40% | 11% | 6% | +2 |
| Abdul El-SayedDemocratic nominee for U.S. Senate | 45% | 48% | 5% | 2% | −3 |
| Elissa SlotkinU.S. senator | 38% | 41% | 11% | 10% | −3 |
| Matt HallMichigan House speaker | 6% | 10% | 22% | 62% | −4 |
| John JamesRepublican nominee for governor | 37% | 42% | 12% | 9% | −5 |
| Mike RogersRepublican nominee for U.S. Senate | 40% | 49% | 9% | 3% | −9 |
| Gretchen WhitmerGovernor | 41% | 55% | 4% | <1% | −14 |
| Donald TrumpPresident | 39% | 58% | 3% | 1% | −19 |
7. Whitmer in 2028
Governor Gretchen Whitmer's term ends in January 2027 and she has been mentioned as a possible candidate for President in 2028. Would you like to see Governor Whitmer run for President in 2028, or not?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Would like to see her run | 27% | |
| Definitely | 13% | |
| Probably | 14% | |
| Would not like to see her run | 63% | |
| Probably not | 12% | |
| Definitely not | 51% | |
| Unsure | 11% |
The issues
8. Most important issue
Which one of the following issues is the most important to you when deciding how to vote in the election for Michigan House of Representatives?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation and cost of living | 24% | |
| Threats to democracy | 18% | |
| Taxes and government spending | 10% | |
| Immigration and border security | 8% | |
| Jobs and the economy | 7% | |
| Healthcare and prescription drug costs | 7% | |
| Crime and public safety | 5% | |
| Abortion | 4% | |
| Data centers | 3% | |
| Infrastructure and roads | 3% | |
| Gun control | 2% | |
| Education | 2% | |
| Environment and climate change | 2% | |
| Homelessness | 1% | |
| Unsure | 5% |
9. Which party is trusted more
Do you trust the Republican Party or the Democratic Party more to handle each of the following?
| Item | Trust Republicans | Trust Democrats | Both the same | Neither | Unsure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare and prescription drug costs | 32% | 44% | 3% | 18% | 4% |
| Education and public schools | 37% | 44% | 3% | 13% | 4% |
| Inflation and cost of living | 34% | 41% | 3% | 19% | 4% |
| Energy and utility costs | 31% | 36% | 6% | 21% | 6% |
| Data centers | 26% | 31% | 5% | 29% | 9% |
| Jobs and the economy | 40% | 40% | 3% | 13% | 4% |
| Immigration | 45% | 40% | 2% | 9% | 4% |
| Crime and public safety | 44% | 35% | 5% | 11% | 5% |
State policy
10. Data center development
Technology companies are proposing to build large data centers in Michigan. Which of the following comes closest to your view?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan should discourage data center development | 42% | |
| Michigan should allow data centers only in communities that vote to approve them | 34% | |
| Michigan should encourage data center development | 10% | |
| Unsure | 14% |
11. State income tax
Some lawmakers have proposed repealing Michigan's state income tax. Which of the following comes closest to your view?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan should repeal the state income tax entirely | 31% | |
| Michigan should lower the state income tax but not eliminate it | 30% | |
| Michigan should keep the state income tax as it is | 23% | |
| Unsure | 17% |
12. Legalized recreational marijuana
Do you believe legalized recreational marijuana has had a positive or negative impact on Michigan?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | 46% | |
| Mostly positive | 29% | |
| Somewhat positive | 17% | |
| Negative | 32% | |
| Somewhat negative | 10% | |
| Mostly negative | 21% | |
| Neutral | 19% | |
| Unsure | 3% |
13. Legalized sports betting
Do you believe legalized sports betting has had a positive or negative impact on Michigan?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | 15% | |
| Mostly positive | 8% | |
| Somewhat positive | 7% | |
| Negative | 58% | |
| Somewhat negative | 18% | |
| Mostly negative | 40% | |
| Neutral | 19% | |
| Unsure | 8% |
14. The COVID-19 response
Thinking back to the COVID-19 pandemic, which comes closest to your view of how Michigan politicians handled it?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| They did about the best they could with what was known at the time | 45% | |
| They went too far with restrictions | 43% | |
| Much too far | 37% | |
| Somewhat too far | 6% | |
| They did not go far enough to protect people | 7% | |
| Unsure | 5% |
The state of Michigan
15. Michigan's schools
Do you believe Michigan does a better or worse job of educating students than our neighboring states?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Better | 24% | |
| Definitely better | 7% | |
| Probably better | 17% | |
| Worse | 53% | |
| Probably worse | 28% | |
| Definitely worse | 25% | |
| Unsure | 23% |
How Michiganders plan to vote
16. Voting method
How do you plan to vote in the November 3rd general election for U.S. Senate, Governor, Michigan House of Representatives, and other statewide offices?
| Response | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| In person on Election Day | 60% | |
| Definitely | 43% | |
| Probably | 17% | |
| Absentee by mail | 28% | |
| Definitely | 21% | |
| Probably | 7% | |
| Early in person | 12% | |
| Definitely | 6% | |
| Probably | 6% |
Methodology
The Michigan Enjoyer poll was conducted by Cygnal in conjunction with Beacon Research among 600 likely 2026 general election voters in Michigan from Sept. 18–21, 2026. Respondents were known registered voters interviewed by live phone calls and text messages, with results weighted to a likely 2026 general election voter universe. The margin of sampling error is ±4.0 percentage points for the full sample and larger for subgroups. FiveThirtyEight ranks both firms among its top 10 pollsters, with A ratings: Cygnal ninth, and Beacon Research 10th in its partnership with Shaw & Company Research.
Results are rounded to whole numbers, so totals may not add to 100. Where a total is broken down (for example, “definitely” and “probably”), the parts may not sum exactly to the total for the same reason.
Who was surveyed
| Female | 54% |
|---|---|
| Male | 46% |
| 18–29 | 11% |
|---|---|
| 30–44 | 21% |
| 45–54 | 17% |
| 55–64 | 20% |
| 65 and older | 31% |
| Strongly Republican | 20% |
|---|---|
| Mostly Republican | 15% |
| Independent | 23% |
| Mostly Democratic | 16% |
| Strongly Democratic | 21% |
| Very conservative | 21% |
|---|---|
| Somewhat conservative | 19% |
| Moderate | 20% |
| Somewhat liberal | 14% |
| Very liberal | 14% |
| Socialist | 6% |
| White | 79% |
|---|---|
| Black | 11% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2% |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 1% |
| Other | 5% |
| College degree | 43% |
|---|---|
| No college degree | 56% |
| Detroit | 49% |
|---|---|
| West | 23% |
| Central | 19% |
| East | 10% |
