Poll: Snyder’s disapproval rating at 52%

Lansing — Gov. Rick Snyder’s disapproval ratings remain near an all-time high even as the Republican governor stresses the Michigan “comeback” economy, according to a new Detroit News-WDIV poll.

Although the governor is airing television ads promoting Michigan’s “comeback story,” 52 percent of the 600 likely statewide voters surveyed said they disapprove of Snyder’s job performance while 42 percent approve of it. It is slightly better than the 54 percent disapproval rating in a July 30-Aug. 1 Detroit News-WDIV survey.

Another 52 percent of the 600 likely voters surveyed Tuesday and Wednesday said they have an unfavorable impression of Snyder. This was about the same as the unfavorability rating two months ago, although his favorable ratings have climbed from 31 percent in August to 34.7 percent.

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Snyder “took a huge hit” in popularity after the disclosure of the lead-contaminated water in Flint last October and a declaration of a state emergency in January, Glengariff Group pollster Richard Czuba said. The state Department of Environmental Quality has been blamed for not urging the use of corrosion control chemicals after the emergency manager-run city switched to Flint River water.

“He was doing really well until the Flint water crisis hit,” Czuba said.

Independent voters thought more highly of Snyder’s job performance, with 46 percent approving of it and 48 percent disapproving, according to the poll, which had a margin of error of plus-minus 4 percentage points. It was an improvement from a 42 percent approval rating by independents in the July 30-Aug. 1 survey.

“Michigan is in the middle of a historical comeback with more than 450,000 new private-sector jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in 15 years. That means more people are finding work in our great state,” said Snyder campaign spokeswoman Bettina Inclan.

“Gov. Snyder is focused on ensuring more people are finding good-paying jobs in Michigan and efforts that continue Michigan’s reinvention, not political polls.”