Gongwer
May 12, 2026
Alethia Kasben and Lily Guiney
Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan told reporters Tuesday he was prepared for an ugly poll given the tailwinds Democrats have seen nationally in the last few weeks, saying he has work to do during the next six months of his independent gubernatorial campaign.
The Detroit Regional Chamber on Tuesday released a poll it commissioned from The Glengariff Group showing Duggan with 23%, U.S. Rep. John James with 29% and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson with 34%. A previous poll commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber, which has endorsed Duggan, showed Duggan leading in a hypothetical matchup with 30%.
Duggan, in a press call, said he has felt the shift of priorities in conversations with voters. His campaign started, he said, by hearing about voters’ anger at the two parties in Lansing, education and housing affordability.
“You could feel in the last six or eight weeks, talking to those same people, all they want to talk about is the Iran War and $5 per gallon gas and how it was affecting them,” he said. “So, you could definitely feel the shift in focus on priorities.”