(Detroit) – A new independent poll released today by the Detroit Regional Chamber shows what Michigan voters are already seeing on the ground: Mike Duggan has surged past being an underdog and is now running neck-and-neck with the major party candidates.
When likely voters were asked which candidate they would vote for this November, the results were:
Likely Voters Greater Detroit Chamber Poll February, 2026
Mike Duggan 30.1%
John James 28.9%
Jocelyn Benson 28.0%
From the Chamber’s press release: “Duggan now polls better than the leading Democrat and Republican candidates in two of the three categories. In hypothetical head-to-head competition with these other candidates, Duggan has a commanding lead over both candidates.”
Duggan also led among all registered voters. Benson led Duggan among definite voters by less than 1%. Link to the full poll can be found here.
This is the second independent poll done in 2026. The first was done by WDIV and the Detroit News the first week of January. That poll also found Duggan gaining and James and Benson slipping. Other than “internal polls” funded by campaigns to promote their own candidate, the independent polls are showing a clear pattern of Michigan voters shifting to Duggan from the major party candidates.
WDIV/Detroit News Poll January, 2026
John James 33.8%
Jocelyn Benson 32.2%
Mike Duggan 26.1%
Who’s the spoiler? Latest poll debunks Democratic Party’s claim.
Results show Mike Duggan Would Win Every One-on-One Matchup in a Landslide
The Democratic party’s mantra is that Duggan should drop out because his presence on the ticket might tip the race to the Republican candidate. The results showed just the opposite: in a one-on-one race, Duggan as an Independent would defeat either James or Benson by landslide margins.
Voters were asked who they would vote for if only two of the three candidates were on the ballot. Here are the results for each of the three scenarios:
Benson (D) vs James (R) Duggan (I) vs James (R) Duggan (I) vs Benson (D)
Benson 45% Duggan 57.6% Duggan 53.6%
James 41% James 30% Benson 31.7%
The results show how historically unpopular the major party candidates are today among Michigan voters. Neither could get above 32% if they were facing Mike Duggan as an Independent.
“What today’s polling shows is that most Michigan voters are sick of the politics as usual, with Democrats and Republicans obsessed with attacking each other,” said Ed Duggan, campaign manager. “We see it in our town halls every day: the more the Democratic party throws mud at Mike Duggan, the more support we gain. People are turning away from the traditional party candidates and toward a candidate who has a history of bringing people together and actually solving problems.”
Duggan’s upside is huge:
74% of Michigan voters are now interested in voting for an Independent for Governor
The poll asked voters if they were interested in voting for an Independent candidate for Governor this November. A year ago, the idea of an Independent candidate was dismissed by voters with skepticism. Today, 74% of voters are very interested or somewhat interested in voting for an Independent Governor.
Are you interested or not interested in voting for a candidate for Governor that ran as an Independent – not affiliated with either party?
Very Interested Somewhat Interested Total Interested
All voters 27% 47% 74%
Strong Democrat 18% 45% 63%
Lean Democrat 45% 45% 90%
Lean Republican 37% 46% 83%
Strong Republican 17% 52% 69%
“The two parties have no understanding of how badly they are alienating Michigan voters,” said Ed Duggan. “When more than 60% of your strong party members are considering voting Independent, you would think they would change what they’re doing. Instead, the Democratic party has so alienated their historic voters with all the vicious attacks on Mike Duggan, 90% of Democratic leaners are now interested in voting Independent.”
“This is what a winning campaign looks like,” Ed Duggan continued. “We’re filling town halls with people who are walking in skeptical and leaving convinced. We had dozens of people show up at noon, on a Thursday, in Munising, with a few feet of snow on the ground. Keep in mind, Munising only has 2,000 residents. Chances are, the whole town knew someone who was there. There’s something special going on with this campaign.”
Duggan on the road, growing endorsements
Duggan has spent a majority of the last 60 days on the road across Michigan. From his home in Detroit, to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Marquette, Flint and Saginaw, Port Huron, Duggan campaigns on average six days per week, with three to six events each day.
Since announcing his run for Governor, Duggan has earned 17 endorsements from Labor Unions and four of Michigan’s largest business organizations.
In August of 2025, more than 200 current and former elected officials, Democrats, Republicans and non-partisans alike endorsed Duggan. In April of 2025, more than 150 clergy members stood together and endorsed Duggan.
