Businessman Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had big wins on Super Tuesday. But one day before the Republican presidential candidates take center stage to debate in Detroit’s historic Fox Theatre, frontrunner Trump is only 10 points ahead of U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. That’s the finding of a brand new and exclusive WXYZ-TV 7/Detroit Free Press Poll conducted by EPIC MRA for our statewide media partners in Grand Rapids, Flint, Lansing and Detroit.
If the Michigan GOP Presidential primary were held today, Trump would win with 29% of the vote compared to Cruz with 19% and Rubio right on his heals with 18%. Ohio Governor John Kasich and neurosurgeon Ben Carson are currently polling at 8% each. Eighteen percent are still undecided.
Bernie Porn, president of the Lansing polling firm that surveyed 400 likely Republican voters said, “Trump is well positioned to win Michigan on Tuesday, March 8, but Rubio is likely to overtake Cruz in Michigan. Nevertheless, as it now stands, Trump is the odds on favorite to win the GOP nomination in Cleveland.”
What’s fascinating about this year’s high interest presidential contest is that the candidate Michiganders like the most is at the bottom of the polls. Detroit native Ben Carson has a 72% favorability rating, followed by Rubio at 64%, Cruz - 57%, Kasich – 54% and Trump at 48%.
But Trunp’s strength with the voters rests in what Bernie Porn says is “his attitude and image as a fighter which is stronger than where he stands on the issues.”
When the voters were asked about Trump’s statement that he would ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. until America got a better handle on combating terrorism, 61% of Republican voters agreed, 32% disagreed.
Conversely, 82% of GOP voters disagree with Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’ call for free college tuition. Only 13% agree.
The survey was conducted February 27 – 29. Thirty percent of the respondents answered question on their cell phones. The poll has a plus or minus margin of error of 4.9% We’ll have a survey on how the Democratic candidates for president stack up in the race for the White House, later this week.
Detailed poll responses
AMONG ABSENTEE VOTERS ONLY (11% OF RESPONDENTS)
Which candidate running for president in the Michigan Republican presidential primary did you vote for?
2% Ben Carson
10% Ted Cruz
5% John Kasich
14% Marco Rubio
45% Donald Trump
24% Undecided/Refused to answer
RESPONSES FROM VOTERS WHO PLAN TO VOTE IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY (INCLUDING ABSENTEE VOTERS)
If the Michigan Republican presidential primary election were held today, which candidate would you vote for?
8% Total Carson
19% Total Cruz
8% Total Kasich
18% Total Rubio
29% Total Trump
18% Undecided or refused to answer
How certain are you that you will vote for the candidate you chose? Are you very certain, somewhat certain, or, not certain at all, and you might change your mind before the election?
63% Very certain
18% Somewhat certain
18% Not certain at all – may change mind
1% Undecided/Refused
Which candidate would be your second choice?
15% Carson
15% Cruz
18% Kasich
26% Rubio
12% Trump
14% Undecided
Donald Trump has stated that if he is elected president, he would temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the United States until we have a better handle on efforts by ISIS or Al-Qaeda to infiltrate the United States with terrorists that they have trained. Do you agree or disagree with Donald Trump’s position on banning Muslims from entering the United States?
61% Agree
32% Disagree
7% Undecided/Refused
Bernie Sanders, one of the two Democratic candidates running for President, has said that if he is elected President, he would provide free college tuition for students wishing to attend college, and he would pay for his $75 billion plan for free college tuition by imposing a tax of one half of a percent on stock market trades and a smaller fee on bond transactions and other trading. Do you agree or disagree with Bernie Sanders plan to provide free college tuition?
13% Total Agree
82% Total Disagree
5% Undecided/Refused
Based on your personal experience or what you know or have heard or read, do you support or oppose the efforts of the Tea Party movement?
54% Tea Party Supporters
19% Tea Party Opponents
27% Undecided/Refused
Do you think of yourself as pro-choice, meaning that you support allowing women to have the right to an abortion, or do you consider yourself pro-life, meaning that you oppose abortions except where it is necessary to save the life of the mother?
23% Pro-choice
71% Pro-life
6% Undecided/Refused
Would you describe yourself as a conservative, a moderate or a liberal?
31% Very conservative
36% Mostly conservative
24% Moderate
2% Liberal
7% Undecided/Refused
Generally speaking, do you consider yourself a Republican or a Democrat?
3% Democrat
81% Republican
16% Independent/Other
