Rep. John James (R-Mich.) now holds the best position of any GOP candidate to potentially flip the governorship in Michigan from blue to red in the 2026 election, according to new polling data. If James actually wins next year, the state’s political landscape would shift seismically, providing further evidence that the country as a whole is shifting away from Democrat policies. It's a win that would bode well for other GOP and MAGA candidates running for other offices at various levels of government as well.
The Plymouth Union Public (PUP) Research survey shows James leading the general election field and crushing a crowded crop of candidates in the primary. In a hypothetical three-way general election, James pulled in 35% support from likely general election voters. Just behind him is a Democratic candidate who drew 31% support. Finally, lifelong Democrat and mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent, only received 12% support.
Former GOP Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, who faces James in the primary, hasn’t held office for nearly 15 years and trails the generic Democrat in a three-way contest, according to the poll. In other words, this guy probably doesn't have a high probability of getting anywhere near the governor's mansion.
"When testing Cox as the GOP gubernatorial candidate, the pollster found the generic Democrat the field with 31% of the vote, followed by Cox drawing 28% support and Duggan with 15% support," The Daily Caller reported.
James, an Army veteran and three-term lawmaker, launched his campaign for governor in April. The general election winner will replace Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who faces term limits. The Republican congressman failed to secure separate bids for Senate in 2018 and 2020.
Not everyone in the world of political polling is on board with the idea of James being the clear favorite this early on in the race. The Cook Political Report says the gubernatorial contest is a "toss-up."
The pollster reported that the GOP candidate leads the Democratic candidate by four points in a generic ballot.
"History suggests the state’s open gubernatorial contest may favor the Republican who emerges as the general election nominee. Michigan’s three previous governors were all succeeded by someone of the opposing party," the Daily Caller continued. "The state’s open Senate seat, vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, could also incentivize Republican voters to turn out in full force during the midterm elections."
PUP conducted the survey between October 8 and 9, polling 600 likely general election voters. Two-thirds of respondents took the survey live over the phone, while the other third completed it through a text-to-web interface.
Since launching his campaign, James has argued that he’s the best Republican for the governor’s role in the key battleground state. An additional PUP Research sample of 200 likely Republican voters revealed he has a strong lead in the primary.
The congressman received 41% support from likely GOP primary voters. Cox came in second with an abysmal 7% support. Talk about deflating a man's ego. Ouch. Voters didn't just pop his balloon; they took a chainsaw to it.
"Other GOP candidates in the race including state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt and Tom Leonard, the former speaker of the Michigan House, clocked in at less than 5% support, according to the PUP Research sample. James expands his lead over Cox when surveying very conservative primary voters, drawing 49% of the vote compared to Cox, who receives 6% of the vote," the report said.
If a Republican flips the state red, it demonstrates that Americans recognize that Democrat policies have destroyed the country and are ready for something else. Democrats do not have a platform that provides solutions to the issues facing everyday people. The GOP, led by MAGA, does. And almost a year into President Donald Trump's administration, we've witnessed the success of these policies, particularly the massive deportation operations that have been hammering major cities across the country, successfully lowering violent crime rates.
It's a good time to be a conservative.
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