Virg Bernero seems to have blown the door off the Democratic Party nomination race for Michigan governor. The Detroit Free Press/WXYZ/EPIC-MRA poll now shows Virg with an eight point lead over Andy Dillon.
Detroit Free Press
The results are impressive for many reasons. First, this is a sixteen point swing for Virg in the same poll from June. This poll result also follows closely after a Bill Ballenger survey that found Bernero with a 16 point lead.
Why the swing? The Detroit Free Press reports that a major swing took place within two constituencies: those who support abortion rights and voters with union ties.
Bernero leads Dillon by a ratio of more than 2-1 among union members or voters with a
union member in the home, such as a spouse. In June, Dillon held an edge among union voters, according to another EPIC/MRA poll.
Pro-choice voters are lining up behind Bernero, too, said EPIC/MRA pollster Bernie
Porn. Among those likely to vote in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, 64% favor abortion
rights, while 26% are opposed.
Well, duh? It is very difficult to run as a pro-life, anti-union Democrat, even in a relatively moderate Democratic state like Michigan. But that is Andy Dillon.
BTW, if anyone thinks that unions are dead as an organizing force, just look at this poll. This swing in the numbers is almost completely the result of union networking and labor ad buys.
Edit: Here's Virg Bernero's campaign web site:
votevirg.com