Dixon was the front-runner in Michigan’s GOP primary for governor, but in the crowded field, the conservative pundit failed to garner even 30 percent support in any of the state’s recent polls. But the Republican hopeful maintains an average lead of 7 percent over her GOP rivals, according to the Real Clear Politics analysis. If ultimately selected by Michigan Republicans on Tuesday, Dixon will challenge Whitmer, who is completing her first term as governor. Recent polls show the Democrat in a good position to win re-election, but analysts predict the race will likely be competitive in a state Trump won in 2016 ahead of President Joe Biden in 2020. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon to challenge incumbent Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the November election. Above left, Dixon is seen on July 24th. Above right, Whitmer poses for a photo after a Jan. 25 event in Lansing, Michigan. Facebook page Tudor Dixon/Bill Pugliano/Getty Images The most recent poll conducted by The Glengariff Group for Detroit News/WDIV-TV from July 5-8 showed the Democratic incumbent leading Dixon by just over 10 points. Whitmer was supported by 50.7 percent of likely Michigan voters compared to just 40.3 percent who supported Dixon. That poll also showed a significant majority (55.3 percent) of Michiganders approved of the job the governor is doing. Just 40.1 percent said they disapproved of Whitmer. The survey included 600 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. A previous poll conducted in May by Target Insyght for the Michigan Information & Research Service showed Whitmer with a huge lead over Dixon. That survey had the incumbent governor supported by 58 percent of registered voters and the Trump-backed challenger supported by just 21 percent — a 37 percent lead for Democrats. The survey included 600 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points. News analysis and polling website FiveThirtyEight’s 2022 forecast for gubernatorial races currently gives Whitmer a 95 out of 100 chance of winning the election this year. Dixon’s odds are just 5 in 100. The forecast projects the incumbent Democrat to win about 54 percent of the vote to the Trump-backed challenger’s roughly 42 percent. Some typically pro-Trump Republicans expressed their anger after he endorsed Dixon in the Michigan primary. But the former president described the GOP nominee as a “Conservative Warrior” who “will stand up to the Radical Left as they try to indoctrinate our children and is ready to take on one of the worst Governors in the nation.” Trump narrowly won Michigan by a margin of 0.2 percent in 2016, garnering the support of just 47.5 percent of the state’s voters. Before that, Michigan had gone Democratic in every presidential election since 1992. President Joe Biden won the state for his party in 2020, garnering support from 50.6 percent of voters compared to 47.8 Trump’s percent. Whitmer won her first election as governor in 2018 by nearly 10 points over her GOP opponent. The Democrat was supported by 53.3 percent of her state’s voters compared to 43.7 percent who voted for the Republican in the race.
