FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENews from Progress Michigan
September 13, 2022
Contact: Sam Inglot, sam@progressmichigan.org
New Poll: Michiganders stand firm on support for abortion rights; dislike for DeVos
Newsletter also explores views on gun violence prevention, ballot initiative process
MICHIGAN – On Tuesday, Progress Michigan released the latest edition of Lake Effect, a monthly research newsletter that tracks public opinion about public officials and policy issues among Michigan voters. This month’s issue digs into several timely topics, including abortion rights, gun violence prevention, and Betsy DeVos’s support of Michigan candidates.
“Michiganders believe in protecting abortion access—and even Republicans are starting to realize it, as we’ve seen from several GOP candidates rushing to pivot from their hardline anti-abortion stances,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “We’re also sick and tired of the DeVos family’s influence on Michigan politics, and this poll shows voters are increasingly reluctant to support DeVos-backed candidates. And, of course, we continue to see strong support for common-sense gun violence prevention policies, which Republican legislators have refused to advance. Every month it becomes clearer that the Michigan GOP does not share Michigan voters’ values.”
Full results of the poll can be found here. Some key takeaways include:
- 61 percent of respondents support keeping abortion legal, with just 27 percent in opposition.
- 76 percent of those polled oppose criminal penalties for people who choose to seek abortion care. 67 percent oppose penalties for abortion care providers.
- 54 percent of respondents say Tudor Dixon’s claim that a 14-year-old rape victim should be denied access to abortion makes them less likely to vote for her. 31 percent say it doesn’t make a difference, and only 9 percent say it makes them more likely to vote for her.
- 50 percent say a candidate receiving funding from the DeVos family makes them less likely to support that candidate, compared to 5 percent who say it makes them more likely to support. When it comes to a DeVos endorsement, those numbers are 47 percent who say it makes them less likely to support a candidate, and 6 percent who say they’re more likely.
- 63 percent of parents polled support safe storage laws to prevent gun violence, while 22 percent oppose these policies.
- 66 percent of those polled oppose the use of language like “groomer” and “pedophile,” terms that refer to abuse of children, to attack their opponents. Only 14 percent support this tactic.
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