Poll: Michigan voters favor Ben Carson for 2016

Perhaps it’s his Detroit roots or his quiet demeanor, but retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson is a hit among Michigan voters, according to a poll of 600 likely voters taken by EPIC-MRA last week.

In a head-to-head contest with Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Carson comes out on top, beating Clinton by a 46%-40% margin and Sanders by a 45%-36% tally.

Clinton and Sanders, however, both beat New York businessman Donald Trump in the poll that was taken Oct. 25-31 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Clinton tops Trump by a 46%-38% margin, while Sanders wins with a 48%-36% tally.

“Clearly, this shows that what’s happening nationally with the surge for Ben Carson is happening in Michigan as well,” said Bernie Porn, president of EPIC-MRA. “That quiet manner of his compared to the bombastic approach of Donald Trump is paying off right now.”

Indeed, another national poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University in Camden, Conn., has Carson in a statistical tie with Trump, beating Clinton by a 50%-40% margin and Sanders by a 51%-39% margin. And several recent polls show Carson leading the GOP field, according to a compilation of polls done by RealClearPolitics.

Porn admitted that it’s still extremely early in the election season and Carson could fade if people start looking more closely at him and his views.

“With Donald Trump, he’s saying some things that are causing people to question their support,” he said. “But that hasn’t started occurring with Carson yet. It’s more about his style than anything else right now.”

For Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, who was named Carson’s campaign chairman in Michigan this week, the poll numbers are no surprise.

“There is no one who has had to make tougher, more on-the-spot decisions in his lifetime. I just like his demeanor. I think the country is ready for someone like him, who isn’t deeply entrenched in the political establishment," Shirkey said. “He speaks from his heart and that’s the single reason he’s resonating with people across America.”

He’s got plenty of Michigan fans. When Carson announced his candidacy in Detroit in May, he attracted a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 3,000 people. When he came to Jackson County in September, about 4,000 people showed up for one of his speeches. And he’s the second leading fund-raiser in Michigan, behind Clinton.

Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon said that if Carson gets the GOP nomination, then Democrats should have a great year in the state.

"There is absolutely zero chance that if Ben Carson is the nominee, that he’ll win Michigan," he said. "His views are so far out of the mainstream, including abolishing Medicare, that once people start paying attention he won’t get much traction in Michigan."

Other numbers from the polls show Gov. Rick Snyder with a 49% favorability rating, followed by President Barack Obama with 48%, Carson with 42% and Clinton with 40%. Unfavorables for Clinton top 52%, but pale in comparison to Trump, who’s unfavorable ratings are at 60%. In the poll, 40% of those surveyed identified themselves as Democrats, while 36% identified as Republicans and 20% said they are Independents.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 517-372-8661, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal