With the retirement of Joe Manchin in West Virginia, we know that Michigan’s open Senate seat will be even more critical in determining whether or not Democrats maintain control of the Senate next year. And this poll makes it clear that, as a swing state, nothing in Michigan is ever guaranteed.
The Detroit Free Press said: ”But it's such a small lead — well within the margin of error — that it could indicate trouble for Democrats in retaining the seat…Such large numbers of undecided voters make it clear that all of the candidates still have a lot of ground to make up in introducing themselves to voters.”
So, what does this mean? The big takeaways for our race in this open seat are that while this is a two-point margin, over 20% of voters are undecided. We’ve been doing everything we can to take our message directly to voters early by visiting cities and towns all over Michigan and meeting with folks to talk about the issues that matter to them. In addition, we know that millions of dollars from Republican mega-donors and conservative Super PACs are on the way to prop up our eventual opponent.
Elissa is a data nerd, so this kind of poll really does guide our decisions about TV ads, digital outreach, hiring staff early, and building a ground-game that meets folks where they are. That’s why the most important time to donate is now. Contributions a year from now, when we’re in the home stretch are helpful. But everything we raise now will help us be strategic and intentional about how and when we reach voters.
That’s why we’re asking for your support: Will you chip in now to help us continue reaching undecided voters, expand our lead in this race, and protect Michigan’s Senate seat for Democrats?
