News poll: Snyder has wide lead on Bernero in gov race

Lansing -- Republican Rick Snyder heads into the general election campaign with a nearly 20-point lead over Democrat Virg Bernero in the race for governor, according to a Detroit News-WDIV poll released Wednesday.

The Ann Arbor businessman holds a 51 percent to 32 percent edge over Lansing's mayor, with 18 percent of likely voters undecided. The candidates have roughly equal name recognition -- 88 percent for Snyder and 80 percent for Bernero -- but with widely divergent favorability ratings.

Bernero was rated favorably by 21 percent of respondents and unfavorably by 27 percent, with 32 percent having no opinion. Snyder was rated favorably by 41 percent, unfavorably by 15 percent, with 33 percent having no opinion.

"I think Virg Bernero has a very tough road ahead of him," said Richard Czuba, president of Glengariff Group Inc., which conducted the poll. "He came out of this primary damaged, where Snyder came out of it virtually unscathed."

Bernero's image as an angry mayor may be viewed negatively by some voters, Czuba said.

"He came off as way too aggressive ... going on the attack (against) Snyder," the pollster said. "Voters need to like their candidate, and right now they don't like Virg Bernero."

Democrat Dorothy Poland, 71, of Northville said she doesn't know for whom she'll vote in the Nov. 2 general election.

"I don't know enough about Snyder and the other one I don't like at all," she said.

Snyder camp 'excited'

The survey found 74 percent of Democrats support Bernero, and 86 percent of Republicans support Snyder -- meaning each has secured a base of support within his party. But 55 percent of independents, and roughly 1 in 10 Democrats said they would vote for Snyder if the election were held today.

Perceptions of Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm are also a determinant of whether voters will support Bernero or Snyder. Among voters who view Granholm favorably, Bernero holds a 62 percent to 16 percent lead over Snyder. Among voters who view Granholm unfavorably, Snyder holds a 73 percent to 14 percent lead over Bernero.

Denise Kirchoff, 43, an independent from Lachine in Alpena County, said Snyder will get her vote.

"He's not a politician -- he's a businessman who knows what (the state) needs to bring jobs into Michigan and boost the economy," she said.

Despite Snyder's stance in favor of embryonic stem cell research, he is faring well with the key Republican constituency of anti-abortion households, which support Snyder over Bernero 66 percent to 18 percent, with 17 percent undecided. Among abortion-supporting households, Bernero holds a 47 percent to 34 percent lead.

Among the key Democratic constituency -- union households -- Bernero holds a narrow 44 percent to 41 percent lead.

"We're certainly excited about this, but we want to caution that we still have 12 weeks before the election," said Bill Nowling, Snyder campaign spokesman.

The News-Local 4 WDIV poll of 600 registered voters was taken Monday and Tuesday. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. The poll gives Snyder a wider lead than one by Rasmussen Reports released Friday. It found Snyder leading Bernero by 12 percentage points.

The Bernero campaign attributes Snyder's lead to his significant spending -- which included $5.9 million of his own money in the primary campaign -- which has included numerous statewide TV ads.

"Snyder just finished spending $6 million getting his name in front of voters. Now he is benefiting from being better known," Jamaine Dickens, Bernero's spokesman, said in an e-mail to The News.

The former Gateway computers CEO raised $7.3 million during his primary campaign, according to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

By comparison, Bernero raised $743,000 in the same time frame and spent no money on TV, although unions and the Genesee County Democratic Party spent about $2 million on a handful of statewide TV ads.

Race 'not over' yet

According to the new poll, Snyder leads Bernero in every region of Michigan, except Detroit, where Bernero holds a 74 percent to 11 percent lead.

Inside Michigan Politics Editor Bill Ballenger said Bernero has money and image issues to deal with in the next 12 weeks.

"He should start spending the money if he has it, or at least raising it," Ballenger said of Bernero.

"And he should get out there right now and do something to create a more positive image for himself. He's always been a polarizing figure, and he rubs a lot of people the wrong way."

Bernero has time to turn things around, Ballenger added.

"Leads have been lost in far shorter periods of time than three months," he said. "I don't think it's over."

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