(Headline USA) Even Michigan’s far-left Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she doesn’t believe recent polls showing Vice President Kamala Harris up in her state by five points, Fox News reported.
Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival on Thursday, Whitmer downplayed Harris’s recent polling advantage over GOP nominee Donald Trump, adding she was worried Democrats and the Harris campaign were getting ahead of themselves.
“It makes me nervous to see any poll that says there’s a five-point lead for Kamala Harris in Michigan now. It’s just not true,” she said, referring to a recent CNN poll.
“It’s gonna be a very close race,” she added. “I believe we can win it. And I believe we will, but it’s gonna be very close.”
According to the RealClearPolitics average, which did not include the CNN result, Harrisled by 1.1 percentage points in the state as of Friday night. The Trafalgar Group, which was the only pollster to accurately predict Trump’s 2016 win in Michigan, had the two major-party candidates in a dead heat at 47% each.
“In Michigan right now, we have Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and we have three other people on the ballot. CNN didn’t test for that,” Whitmer said. “And that’s why, as we see these polls, I’m telling everyone, don’t get comfortable on any. You can’t sleep on Michigan.”
Although eight candidates initially qualified for the ballot, Democrats have fought tooth and nail to disqualify left-leaning candidates while promoting those who might draw votes away from Trump.
Regardless, on Friday a court determined that the state could not force independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy to remain on the ballot after he withdrew and endorsed Trump last week. Similarly, an activist effort to keep far-left candidate Cornel West off the ballot proved unsuccessful.
Whitmer went on to express concern about the third-party candidates still on Michigan’s ballot, including Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
“In 2016, Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump by 11,000 votes. Jill Stein was also on our ballot and earned more than 11,000 votes,” Whitmer said.
Whitmer is not the only Democrat to express skepticism about Harris’s recent numbers. Just this week, CNN’s political director admitted recent polls actually show Harris trailing among key demographics, including black voters.
Compared to President Joe Biden, for example, who won 92% of black voters in Pennsylvania, Harris is currently pulling just 84% of black voters in Pennsylvania.
“There‘s still room here for Harris to grow and consolidate the black vote, which is going to be necessary if she is going to win in places like Georgia and Pennsylvania, which are clearly in play here and toss-up races,” CNN’s David Chalian said.
