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Mike Duggan and Jocelyn Benson
A new poll shows Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s lead among ever-important Detroit voters in the 2026 gubernatorial race over Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has increased significantly since February.
A poll conducted by Target Insyght of Lansing shows support for Duggan, who is running as an Independent, jumped from 41 percent to 52 percent since February, while Benson, a Democrat, has declined from 36 percent to 33 percent during the same period.
The poll shows Republican gubernatorial candidate Congressman John James has 5 percent support. Another 10 percent are undecided, down from 13 percent in February. The poll did not take into account other Democratic or Republican candidates.
The poll of 400 voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
“Typically, Democrats look to win Detroit with 90 percent of the votes in the gubernatorial race in the general election,” said Ed Sarpolus, executive director of Target Insyght. “Here, 33 percent is well below the 90 percent Benson is depending on.”
Sarpolus said that the closer Duggan gets to 90 percent, the possibility exists of him being a spoiler in the race and helping the Republican candidate—likely to be James, at least at this point.
“It still doesn’t guarantee a victory for Duggan," Sarpolus said of the Detroit support.
“One key reason Benson is trailing is that 32 percent of Detroit voters don’t recognize her name or have no opinion, despite her being Secretary of State for nearly seven years,” Sarpolus said. He noted that only 14 percent of those polled had no opinion of Duggan.
“Democrats in 2026 can no longer ignore Detroit and campaign mostly out of state,” Sarpolus said. “Detroit will need to be a top priority in the rest of 2025 and all of 2026.”
The poll of 400 Detroit voters shows Duggan with a 68 percent favorable rating, compared to Benson’s 55 percent. Among men, Duggan has a favorable rating of 51 percent, compared to Benson’s 31 percent.
Among women, Duggan has a 53 percent favorable rating, compared to Benson’s 34 percent. James has 3 percent.
Among Black voters, the poll shows Duggan with 52 percent, Benson with 38 percent, and James with 1 percent. Another 9 percent are undecided.
Among White voters, Duggan leads Benson 61 to 18 percent, with James garnering 12 percent support. Another 10 percent are undecided.
