A new poll of 400 registered voters in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District, conducted by Hamilton Campaigns, done for the Paul Clements campaign, shows that Clements is in a statistical dead heat with Fred Upton. The poll shows Clements down by only 4 points, 47-43%, but within the margin of error of 4.9 points.
This is an astonishing switch from a poll done by the same firm that showed Clements down a full 15 points the first week of October:
This dramatic turnaround shows two things. First, it shows that having the resources to get your message out is crucial for changing public opinion. This is an advantage that Upton, with his massive corporate and PAC support, has enjoyed in his previous campaigns. However, Clements got a huge assist in this year’s race when MaydayPAC put $1.5 million into defeating Upton. MaydayPAC announced earlier this week that they are putting another $650,000 into the race bringing their total expenditure against Upton up to $2.15 million.
Second, and most importantly, it shows that Paul Clements has a message that resonates with voters of the 6th Congressional District who are tired of being “represented” by a man who is more interested in representing the interests of his corporate benefactors than those of his constituents.
The pollster, Dave Beattie of Hamilton Campaigns, had this to say about the results:
The race in Michigan’s 6th District has narrowed significantly in recent weeks, as voters have learned more about the negative aspects of incumbent Rep. Fred Upton’s tenure in Congress and have been introduced to a viable alternative in Paul Clements. Additionally, political gaffes by Upton have brought scrutiny to this long-term incumbent who has never faced a credible challenger in a district that Barack Obama won in 2008 and trailed Mitt Romney by only 1.4 percentage points in 2012.Paul Clements has momentum in the closing days of the campaign, in what has turned out to be the most competitive congressional race in Michigan, for a seat that many thought was safe for Republicans.
Paul Clements can win this seat but he needs your help. If you are in the 6th District, make sure you are spending your time wisely between now and Election Day getting out the vote (GOTV) for Clements and Democrats up and down the ticket. Contact your local Democratic Party or click HERE to get connected to the Clements campaign directly. If you’re in the South Bend, IN area, I’m sure the Clements campaign would love to have your help turning this very red seat blue, as well!
If you’re in the Kalamazoo area, you can sign up to GOTV HERE.
The Clements campaign has contacted over 15,000 voters since October 1st. Help him connect with more and to bring this one home for the Democratic candidate in MI-06.
UPDATE: I wanted to draw your attention to this comment by 6th District Chair Mark Miller:
“As current Chair and long-time member of the MDP Sixth District Committee, I have waited a long time for this. We have a real shot at removing the Rep.the LA Times called ‘the biggest enemy of planet Earth’. We are all working flat out. If anyone reading this has time to volunteer this weekend, and is in range of southwest Michigan, email me at memiller55@charter.net and I will get you in touch with the campaign.”
[Photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog]
