SBAM’s Brian Calley and Kelli Saunders discussed these recent poll results on this week’s Small Business Briefing. Click here to watch.

A new survey of likely Michigan voters shows Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in a commanding position to win the Democratic nomination for governor in 2026, while the Republican field remains unsettled, particularly if former GOP nominee Tudor Dixon re-enters the race.

The poll, conducted Oct. 23–25 by Atlanta-based researchers at Rosetta Stone and released Thursday, found Benson with 58% support among Democratic primary voters. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II polled at 15%, and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson registered 6%. Benson’s financial advantage and wide lead suggest she is on a clear path to the nomination, the pollster said.

On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) led the field with 44%, followed by former Attorney General Mike Cox at 13% and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) at 6%. However, the dynamics change significantly if Dixon runs. In that scenario, Dixon leads with 33%, compared to 25% for James and 10% for Cox, indicating the GOP primary could shift dramatically depending on her decision.

Dixon has previously said she is not going to be a gubernatorial candidate in 2026.

The poll of 637 likely 2026 general election voters has a margin of error of ±3.9 percentage points. Subsamples of Democrats and Republicans carry higher margins of error. The pollster said the survey was not funded by any campaign or committee.

Cutting regulatory “red tape” has been an ongoing conversation in the House Rules committee this year, and the conversation continued last week, where SBAM’s Advocacy & Policy Manager, Jacob Manning, testified in support of House Bill 5127, alongside the bill’s sponsor, Representative Bill G. Schuette. This bill would clarify that Michigan’s Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MILEAP) can only regulate a licensed childcare space itself – not unrelated tenants of a multi-use building or unrelated area of a childcare center.

Currently, Michigan’s statute contains no guarantees in this space, meaning that childcare providers – whether they be family or community-based providers or centers – can face inspection risks for parts of their facility where children are not present, or even parts of their building that are completely outside of their control.

READ MORE