Pocketbook Issues Are Top-Of-Mind for Voters
Contact: Jenell Leonard, Mobile: 765.210.7971, jleonard@mrgmi.com
LANSING, Mich. – The direction of the country polarizes, with 58% believing the country is on the wrong track, compared to 29% who believe it is headed in the right direction, according to the latest Michigan Poll, commissioned by MRG and conducted from September 15th to 19th. Compared to the Spring Michigan Poll®, which reported 56% wrong track and 37% right direction, the gap has widened, highlighting growing voter division.
Political sides contrast as 58% of Republicans say the nation is on the right track, 30% say it is on the wrong track, and 11% are unsure. Democrats take the opposite view, with just 7% saying the country is heading in the right direction and 87% saying it's on the wrong track. Independents lean negatively, with 20% in the right direction, 58% on the wrong track, and 21% unsure.
“Polls are a snapshot in time, and it’s important to note that this Michigan Poll® was conducted during a week of uncertainty,” said Jenell Leonard, Owner of MRG. “The number of respondents who did not choose a right or wrong direction nearly doubled to 12% since our last poll, and much of that could be attributed to the most recent current events including Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination, continued uncertainty in the Middle East, a potential state government shutdown, and the Fed interest rate cut due to signs of a cooling job market.”
Direction of the State Turns Negative, Again
The voter’s view of the state being on the right track was short-lived. Today, voters downgraded the direction of the state, with a plurality (43%) believing Michigan is on the wrong track and only 38% believing the state is heading in the right direction. Nearly one in five (19%) were unsure.
President Trump’s Job Approval Remains Competitive
President Donald Trump’s approval among Michigan voters remains largely consistent with previous results. Currently, 42% approve and 51% disapprove of his job performance. Compared to the Spring Michigan Poll®, support among Black voters rose from 8% in March to 13% in this Fall poll. Other demographics reported no significant changes over the six-month period.
The president’s support remains strong among Republicans, with an 88% job approval rating. Ninety-one percent of Democrats disapprove, and Independents give the president a 27% approval compared to the 57% that disapprove.
Regionally, the president receives the highest approval ratings from voters in lower northern Michigan at 66% and the lowest approvals come from voters in the City of Detroit, where 75% disapprove of his performance.
President’s Personal Approval Holds Steady
When asked about their personal feelings toward President Trump, 38% of voters viewed him positively and 50% viewed him negatively. These numbers are nearly unchanged from the Spring Michigan Poll®, which showed 39% positive and 51% negative sentiments.
“President Trump’s approval numbers continue to show resiliency despite partisan polarization,” said Leonard. “His base remains energized, suggesting that he will continue to be a dominant voice in Michigan politics as the state moves closer to the 2026 election cycle.”
Whitmer Job Approval Dips
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s job approval ratings have tightened since March. Today, 52% of voters approve of her job performance and 37% disapprove. Compared to MRG’s Spring poll, the governor's support declined by 7% among Democratic voters, 11% among liberal voters, and 9% among Black voters. She lost the most support from those ages 18-34, dropping from 63% support in March to 48% in the current Fall poll.
Her highest support comes from Democrats at 86%, Independents at 60%, and women at 59%. Her approval ratings reflect consistent strength from the City of Detroit (89%), Wayne County (58%), and the tri-city region (57%). Opposition remains strong among Republicans and in northern lower Michigan, where her disapprovals are at 76% and 60%, respectively.
Whitmer’s Positive Personal Ratings Take a Dip Below 50
On personal favorability, Governor Whitmer's rating dipped to 49% positive and 35% negative among respondents. In the Spring poll, her favorability was 52% positive and 36% negative, reflecting a slight decline in positivity in the current Fall results.
“While her positive personal ratings have taken a slight dip, Governor Whitmer continues to hold her own with both her personal ratings and those who believe she’s doing a good job,” said Leonard. “Both of these will be tested over the next week as voters watch her ability to work with the legislature to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown.”
Economy and Inflation Remain Top Issues
When asked about the most important issues facing Michigan, voters once again placed pocketbook concerns at the top. Economy and jobs ranked first with a collective 27%, followed by higher prices and inflation, which placed second with 25%.Politicians/government rounded out the top three with a collective 20% among respondents.
“Kitchen table issues continue to dominate voters’ minds with the economy, cost-of-living, and government remaining the top issues they care about,” said Leonard. “As we kick off the mid-term election cycle, candidates would be wise to focus on issues like affordability, job attraction, and government accountability measures if they want to address voters’ concerns and regain their trust.”
The Questions and Results
The results and the wording of the questions asked by MRG follow.
Q. Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
Q. And, thinking about things in Michigan . . . do you feel things in the State of Michigan are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
Q. What are the most important issues facing the state of Michigan at this time? That is, the one or two you personally are most worried about? (please choose category that is closest to the answer given and record the verbatim response).
Q. Now, I'm going to read you the names of people that have been in the news, and I'd like you to rate your feelings toward each one as very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative. If you don't know the name, please just say so.
Q. In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job President Trump is doing as president? [IF APPROVE / DISAPPROVE, ASK:] Would that be strongly (approve / disapprove) or just somewhat (approve / disapprove)?
Q. In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job Governor Whitmer is doing as governor? [IF APPROVE / DISAPPROVE, ASK:] Would that be strongly (approve / disapprove) or just somewhat (approve / disapprove)?
MRG Michigan Poll® Fall 2025
The survey of 601 likely Michigan voters was conducted by live phone interview from September 15-19, 2025. The sample was randomly drawn from a listed sample of all registered voters with a history of voting and stratified by city and township to reflect voter turnout. Quotas for gender and cell phone interviews were met within each geographic area, and extra efforts were made to reach African Americans. Some columns or results may not add up to 100% because of rounding. Individual rounding may impact final totals. This survey yields a sampling margin of error of ±4 percent with a 96 percent confidence interval. The sampling margin of error for subgroups may be higher depending on the size of the subgroup.
About Marketing Resource Group (MRG)
Lansing, Michigan-based Marketing Resource Group (www.mrgmi.com) is an award-winning PR firm representing corporate, association, nonprofit, and private clients with interests in Michigan. MRG offers expertise in public affairs, communications, political campaign management, and public opinion survey research. For more than thirty years, MRG has conducted its bi-annual omnibus Michigan Poll®, tracking the pulse of Michigan voters on key statewide public policy and political issues. MRG is the only Michigan public opinion survey research firm that maintains nearly 40 years of trend analyses of voter attitudes related to state and national leaders, political parties, and the political and economic climate in Michigan. Follow MRG on X @mrgmichigan and on Facebook.
