POLL: 78% Disapprove of Whitmer’s Refusal to Warn Benton Harbor Residents of Lead in Drinking Water

POLL: 78% Disapprove of Whitmer’s Refusal to Warn Benton Harbor Residents of Lead in Drinking Water

More new polling: 52% Say State Is On The Wrong Track; Majority Strongly Oppose Effort to Funnel Excessive Campaign Contributions to Political Party, Political Action Committees

LANSING, Mich. – New public opinion polling commissioned by the Michigan Freedom Fund shows Governor Gretchen Whitmer facing severe public backlash over her leadership of the state and her decision not to warn Benton Harbor residents about dangerous lead in their drinking water, despite knowing about the dangerous water for more than two years. Polling also shows a vast majority of Michigan voters do not think Whitmer should be allowed to benefit from the nearly $4 million in excessive contributions over the limit her campaign has pocketed.

Local Benton Harbor residents, pastors, and safe water advocates have blasted the Governor for not warning them, not addressing the crisis, and not providing safe water and water filters. EGLE director Liesl Clark reluctantly told state lawmakers last week that the water is not safe to drink. Despite the admission, the Whitmer administration has failed even to properly staff recent bottled water giveaways, leaving residents of the majority-Black city in long lines for hours at a time before eventually being turned away.

Instead, Whitmer snuck out of the state, partying at a swanky Washington, D.C. hot-spot where she was photographed violating local COVID-19 masking orders.

 

“More than 78% of voters disapprove of Gretchen Whitmer’s handling of the Benton Harbor water crisis and why wouldn’t they – she just got caught partying in D.C. after leaving Benton Harbor residents with lead in their water and little access to bottled water while the pipes are replaced,” said Tori Sachs, executive director of the Michigan Freedom Fund. “Whitmer knew for more than two years that the water in Benton Harbor wasn’t safe to drink and didn’t do anything about it. Now, her administration is failing to adequately respond to the magnitude of the crisis in Benton Harbor.”

 

MRG’s poll found that 64.3% of voters strongly disapprove of Whitmer’s handling of the Benton Harbor poison-water crisis, while another 14.1% somewhat disapprove. Only 7.3% strongly or somewhat back her performance on the issue.

52% Say Michigan is on the Wrong Track

52% of Michiganders say the state is on the wrong track, up 5 points from 47% in March. 33% said the state is on the right track and 14% didn’t know.

 

“The number of Michiganders who believe the state is on the wrong track has increased significantly since Governor Whitmer’s drastic lockdowns cost the state 275,000 jobs,” said Tori Sachs, executive director of The Michigan Freedom Fund. “There is no governor in the nation that has done more to obstruct the recovery of their state than Gretchen Whitmer.” 

83% Don’t Think Whitmer Should Benefit From Donations Over The Limit

Following a court filing by the Secretary of State’s office declaring that Whitmer will need to return or donate millions of dollars in illegal campaign contributions, pollsters asked voters what the Governor should do with the illegal cash.