A Detroit Regional Chamber/Glengariff Group poll suggests that Michigan’s 2026 gubernatorial election has developed into a competitive three-way race, with independent Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan narrowly leading among total registered voters.
The recent survey was conducted by the Detroit Regional Chamber in partnership with Glengariff Group, polling 600 registered Michigan voters between January 27 and February 2 over landline and cellphone. The poll carries a margin of error of four percentage points.
While the survey broadly asked voters about a range of topics, including the economy, artificial intelligence data centers, and attitudes toward Michigan’s overall performance, the gubernatorial election produced its most contested results. Respondents were given the choice of Duggan, who launched his bid in late 2024, Democrat Jocelyn Benson, and Republican John James. Voters also had the option to select “other” or decline to answer.
Among all registered voters, Duggan holds a narrow plurality in Michigan’s upcoming gubernatorial race at 29.8 percent. James follows closely at 28.3 percent, with Benson just behind at 27.8 percent. Duggan also leads among voters who said they are more likely to participate in the upcoming election, receiving 30.1 percent support.
The only major voter category in which Duggan does not lead is among those who say they are definitely planning to vote. In that group, Benson places first with 30.9 percent, followed by Duggan at 30.3 percent and James at 29.5 percent. Across all three voter categories, support for an unnamed alternative hovered around one percent, while the share of respondents who declined to answer ranged from 8.3 percent to 13.1 percent.
The Chamber, which has openly endorsed Duggan’s independent candidacy, previously conducted a poll of the same field in May 2025 using an identical sample size. In that earlier survey, Duggan placed third among registered voters with 21.5 percent support and also captured the same figured among definite voters, showing some observable growth in his standing over the past several months.
Cross-tab results further suggest Duggan’s coalition stems from multiple demographic groups. He performs strongest among voters who identify as leaning Democratic, capturing 49 percent support, and among independents, where he receives 48.2 percent. His weakest showing comes among voters who strongly identify as Republicans, where he earns 19.1 percent.
Duggan also leads by plurality among voters living in the Detroit metropolitan area (44.1 percent), non-college-educated voters (32.9 percent), voters aged 30–39 (38.3 percent) and 40–49 (31.1 percent), retired voters (32.2 percent), and respondents across several different income brackets. Notably, he captures a majority of Black voters who responded, receiving 59.3 percent support within that group.
The poll additionally tested hypothetical two-way matchups between Duggan and each major party candidate. In both scenarios, Duggan leads with a majority across all three major voter categories. His strongest showing comes against James, where he leads 57.2 percent to 29.5 percent among all registered voters.
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