LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The AARP released results on Thursday from a new election survey that they
commissioned from Fabrizio Ward & Impact Research. The survey interviewed 1,365 likely Michigan voters with a statewide sampling of 500 likely voters, an oversampling of 550 likely voters who are 50 and older and another oversampling of 315 black likely voters who are 50 and older.

In the matchup with all likely voters, which includes the oversampled voters, incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has a slight lead over Dixon with 51% support vs. Dixon’s 46%. Whitmer also has a seven point lead among independents.

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Dixon received higher marks than Whitmer from Republicans, men, voters with less than four years of college and men 50 years old and older. The survey was taken August 8th through the 14th and and the margin of error for the
different sampling groups ranges from 3.4% to 4.9%. 52% of those surveyed were female. Overall 82% of those surveyed were white, 11% black, 3% Hispanic and 4% who identified as other. Of those surveyed, 30% were
Republican, 31% Democrat and 39% Independent.

60% of those surveyed were 50 and older and 53% were living in a suburban area, 28% rural and 15% urban. 61% were employed.

Whitmer’s highest demographic lead is among blacks 50 and older where she has 79% support. She’s also ahead among voters ages 18-49 and with college students. Looking at the numbers for the image of the candidates, 94% of republicans have a unfavorable view of Governor Whitmer while only 70% of democrats are unfavorable
towards Dixon.

Also in the polling was an indication of how Michigan voters feel about the political environment. 71% said the country is headed in the wrong direction and 55% said the state of Michigan is as well. 57% said the economy is not working for them.

61% of the people surveyed are very or somewhat worried about their personal financial situation and 82% of the likely voters surveyed are extremely motivated to vote in the November election..
Overall, Whitmer’s job approval rating came in at 51%.

When asked which of the 13 things they listed were personally most important to them in deciding who they were voting for in the governor’s race, the likely voters who were 50 years old and older chose abortion (19%), inflation and rising prices (18%), jobs and the economy (13%) and everything else was below 10%. Among both independents and the GOP, inflation was the top pick.

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The biggest concerns concerning costs and inflation were food (32%), drug prices/health care (23%), gasoline (22%) and housing (9%). 51% of those surveyed planned on voting on Election Day with 41% planning to vote
absentee.

AARP points out that Michigan voters 50 years old and older, the age group their organization represents, are a very important voting block.

In the 2018 mid-term elections, this age group made up 60% of the voters. The AARP says that that candidates should “pay close attention to Michigan residents age 50 and older, with pocketbook issues such as inflation, Social Security and Medicare top of mind for these voters.”