A statewide poll has been released that shows who the early front-runners would be for the gubernatorial primaries in August.
On the Republican side, Attorney General Mike Cox holds the early lead garnering 32 percent. Congressman Pete Hoekstra had 25 percent, while Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard was third with 16 percent. Ann Arbor business executive Rick Snyder had 3 percent and State Senator Tom George is picking up just 2 percent. 400 likely Republican primary voters were surveyed.
On the Democrat side, where most of the candidates have not yet made decisions as to whether they will be on the ballot, potential candidate Denise Ilitch holds the early lead with 23 percent; she is followed by Congressman Gary Peters (who has said he is not running) with 9 percent. House Speaker Andy Dillon picked up 8 percent. In a three-way tie were Congressman Bart Stupak (who has also ruled out running), Lansing mayor Virg Bernero and former Genesee County Treasurer Dan Kildee, all with 6 percent. State Representative Alma Wheeler Smith and former State Treasurer Bob Bowman had 2 percent each. 400 likely Democrat primary voters were surveyed.
The poll also measured some potential general election match-ups.
According to the poll, Cox would beat Ilitch 48 to 30 percent. He’d beat Dillon 47 to 30 percent, and he would beat Bernero 50 to 28 percent.
If Hoekstra were the nominee, the poll had him beating Ilitch 42 to 35 percent. He’d beat Dillon 40 to 32 percent, and he would beat Bernero by 45 to 27 percent.