Hoekstra and Cox in Close Race for GOP Governor Nod in Michigan

At this early stage in the election cycle, more Michigan voters are undecided about candidates for governor than those who are backing someone, but the skimpy results is an EPIC-MRA poll conducted Oct. 11-15 has Lt. Gov. John Cherry atop the Democratic pack for his party's nomination while the Republican primary contest is topped by Attorney General Mike Cox and Rep. Pete Hoekstra.

Cherry trails all the top Republican contenders in general election match-ups.

A whopping 89 percent of Democrats are undecided on who they would support. Twenty-six percent back Cherry and four others are at 4 percent or less.

When the undecideds were asked to make a choice if they had to vote right now, Cherry's total went up to 33 percent, the rest stayed about where they were and 54 percent still made no choice.

On the Republican side, Hoekstra leads Cox by 26 percent to 23 percent, with Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard drawing 10 percent. Two other candidates are in low single-digits.Thirty-six percent were undecided.

When the undecideds were asked to make a choice here, Hoekstra had 29 percent, Cox 28 percent and Bouchard 14 percent while 24 percent still wouldn't make a choice.

In the general election picture, Republican Cox leads Cherry 45 percent to 30 percent with 25 percent undecided. The two ran evenly last May.

Hoekstra leads Cherry 40 percent to 33 percent with 27 percent undecided. Cherry had led 36 percent to 33 percent in May.

Bouchard also leads Cherry, 39 percent to 31 percent with 30 percent undecided.