New poll shows Bailey in best position to beat Franz
From staff reports
An addendum to this story was published here on Aug. 1, which takes a closer look at the Derek Bailey campaign’s poll.
The results in a new poll of 400 likely Democratic primary voters released in mid-July shows Derek Bailey, candidate for the 101st State Representative District, leading his opponent, Alan O’Shea of Manistee, by eight points as the August 7 primary approaches.
Bailey, a Leelanau County native and chair of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, dropped out of the race for U.S. Congress this spring when it became clear that he was losing the fundraising battle against Democratic opponent Gary McDowell.
Bailey and O’Shea are currently vying to take on incumbent State Rep. Ray Franz, a right-wing Republican who has attracted controversy for his stated positions against renewable energy, against “Pure Michigan” tourism funds and his past rhetorical attacks on the GLBT community.
The survey of 400 voters was conducted July 9-July 16 with a margin of error of 4.9 percent and was conducted by Deep Blue Strategies on behalf of the Bailey campaign.
The campaign cites the poll as evidence that voters believe Bailey is the candidate best suited to solidify the Democratic base, a key factor in an election year where high voter turnout will be essential to winning any campaign. “When voters are informed of Bailey’s history of successes with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians budget crisis and his record on education, his lead in the poll opens significantly,” states a Bailey campaign press release.
“The more voters learn about my record, the more our support grows,” said Bailey, who would become the first Native American in the Michigan State House if he bests O’Shea and beats Franz in the November election. “The people of the 101st district need strong leadership fighting for them to fix what’s broken in Lansing. Our district needs a strong representative who is going to take action immediately because our problems are urgent and the right solutions are overdue. I will fight to create jobs now, fix our schools now and fix this budget mess now. Representative Franz has had two years, and the only things he has to show for it are weaker schools and tax increases.”
