The ongoing Flint water crisis has taken a huge political toll on Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. That’s the finding of a brand new EPIC MRA Poll released first to WXYZ/Channel 7 and their statewide media partners in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids and Lansing.
When 600 likely Michigan voters were asked to rate the Governor’s job performance on how he has handled the lead-contaminated water problem in Flint, 75% gave Snyder a thumbs down! Only 20% felt he was doing a good job, and 5% were undecided. In January, Snyder’s negative rating polled at 69%.
He also received an increase on the question of “do you think Governor Snyder should resign?” Forty-one percent say he should step down. That’s up from 29% who said he should resign in January. But in the most recent survey, half of the respondents, 50%, believe Snyder should stay in office and fix the problem.
The Governor’s overall job performance numbers also took a hit. Sixty-nine percent don’t like the job he is doing running the state while 29% approve of his leadership. Only 2% don’t know how they feel. In January, 58% gave Snyder a negative rating.
Bernie Porn, President & CEO of EPIC MRA said, “In all measurements for the Governor, he has taken a serious hit because of the Flint water crisis!”
When poll respondents were asked about the hotly contested race for U.S. president, 47% said they would vote for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over billionaire businessman Donald Trump who received 37%. Sixteen percent are still trying to make up their minds. But Michigan voters seem to like the non-frontrunners best. Forty-four percent said they would prefer to see Ohio Governor John Kasich win the GOP nomination and 42% said they would favor Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders over Clinton.
DETAILED POLL RESULTS BELOW
Overall, would you say that things in the country are generally headed in the right direction, or, have things pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?
27% Right direction
63% Wrong track
10% Undecided/Refused
How about in Michigan -- would you say that things are generally headed in the right direction, or, have things pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?
35% Right direction
53% Wrong track
12% Undecided/Refused
Now, I would like to read the names of political figures. For each one, please tell me if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of that person. “Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of that person?”
Barack Obama
Total Favorable: 52%
Total Unfavorable: 44%
Rick Snyder
Total Favorable: 38%
Total Unfavorable: 52%
Hillary Clinton
Total Favorable: 39%
Total Unfavorable: 54%
Donald Trump
Total Favorable: 26%
Total Unfavorable: 66%
Ted Cruz
Total Favorable: 34%
Total Unfavorable: 51%
John Kasich
Total Favorable: 50%
Total Unfavorable: 29%
Bernie Sanders
Total Favorable: 48%
Total Unfavorable: 43%
Overall, how would you rate the job being done by Barack Obama as President – would you give him a positive rating of excellent or pretty good, or a negative rating of just fair or poor?
17% Excellent
30% Pretty good
47% TOTAL POSITIVE
53% TOTAL NEGATIVE
20% Just fair
33% Poor
0% Undecided/Refused
Overall, how would you rate the job being done by Rick Snyder as Michigan’s Governor – would you give him a positive rating of excellent or pretty good, or a negative rating of just fair or poor?
5% Excellent
24% Pretty good
29% TOTAL POSITIVE
69% TOTAL NEGATIVE
27% Just fair
42% Poor
2% Undecided/Refused
Specifically, based on what you may know or have heard or read about the Flint water crisis, how would you rate the job that Governor Snyder has done handling that crisis? Would you give him a positive rating of excellent or pretty good, or a negative rating of just fair or poor?
3% Excellent
17% Pretty good
20% TOTAL POSITIVE
75% TOTAL NEGATIVE
18% Just fair
57% Poor
5% Undecided/Refused
Again, based on how you think Governor Snyder has handled the Flint water crisis, do you think he should resign from office, as some people have suggested, or, do you think he should remain in office?
41% Snyder should resign from office
50% Snyder should remain in office
9% Undecided/Refused
Thinking about the economy in Michigan, do you believe Michigan’s economy…
55% Is now improving
24% Has bottomed out but has not yet started to get better
16% Has not yet bottomed out and will still get worse
5% Undecided/Refused
In November this year, voters nationwide will vote to elect a new President. Thinking about the November general election for President…
If the election were held today, and the candidates were Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, would you vote for Donald Trump the Republican or Hillary Clinton the Democrat?
40% Vote for Hillary Clinton the Democrat
7% Lean toward Hillary Clinton
47% TOTAL VOTE FOR CLINTON
37% TOTAL VOTE FOR TRUMP
31% Vote for Donald Trump the Republican
6% Lean toward Donald Trump
16% Undecided/Refused
Thinking about the Republican nomination process for President, of the candidates who are still running, which one would you prefer to see win the Republican nomination, [ROTATE] Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, or would you prefer to see someone else nominated at the Republican Convention?
44% John Kasich
21% Donald Trump
19% Ted Cruz
2% Someone else (ASK: “Who would that be?”):_________________________________________
14% Unsure/Refused
Thinking about the Democratic nomination process for President, of the two candidates who are still running, which one would you prefer to see win the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or would you prefer to see someone else nominated at the Democratic Convention?
42% Bernie Sanders
32% Hillary Clinton
1% Someone else (ASK: “Who would that be?”):_________________________________________
25% Unsure/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?: “Do you strongly or somewhat (support/oppose) the Tea Party movement?”
8% Strongly supports Tea Party movement
19% Somewhat supports Tea Party movement
28% Tea Party Support
16% Somewhat opposes Tea Party movement
30% Strongly opposes Tea Party movement
46% Tea Party Opposition
26% Undecided/Refused
Finally, I would like to ask you a few questions about yourself for statistical purposes.
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 when it is necessary to save the life of the mother?
49% Pro-choice – women have the right to an abortion
45% Pro-life – against abortions except to save life of mother
6% Undecided/Refused
Generally speaking, do you consider yourself a Republican or a Democrat?
Do you consider yourself a strong Democrat or a not very strong Democrat?
Do you consider yourself closer to the Republican or Democratic Party?
Do you consider yourself a strong Republican or not a very strong Republican?
25% Strong Democrat
8% Not Strong Democrat
7% Independent-Lean Democrat
20% Independent
10% Independent-Lean Republican
7% Not Strong Republican 40% DEM
20% Strong Republican
1% Other 37% GOP
2% Undecided/Refused
23% INDEPENDENT/OTHER
