Granholm leads DeVos in latest poll

MID MICHIGAN (WJRT) (WJRT) -- (10/05/06)--Thursday night there was a new take on the race for the state's top job. In an ABC12/Epic-MRA poll of 600 voters, 46 percent said they'll vote for Gov. Jennifer Granholm and 40 percent said they'll vote for Dick DeVos.

Two third-party candidates each took 1 percent and 12 percent of voters are still undecided. Two thirds of those polled said our state is heading in the wrong direction. And half say the key is jobs and the economy.

It's often the topic of the back-and-forth ad battle for the state's top job. But the new numbers could suggest it's not the way to win.

From the ads to the debate, jobs and Michigan's economy are the top topics for the top job. When asked to rate Granholm's job performance, 42 percent of those polled called it positive and 56 percent called it negative.

But did this week's debate help? Maybe. When asked who won, 31 percent of those polled picked Granholm. Only 6 percent picked DeVos. But 52 percent of voters couldn't decide.

This is already the most expensive race for governor in Michigan history. Pollsters asked voters if negative campaign ads really matter.

And 75 percent of those polled for DeVos and 77 percent for Granholm said no, they won't influence their votes.

There were two other big votes in our poll, the first for United States Senate. Democratic incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow holds a 13-point lead over her Republican challenger Mike Bouchard.

As for Proposition 2, a state measure to ban Affirmative Action in state business, 49 percent of those polled support that Constitutional amendment.

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