New poll shows John Kasich holding slim lead in Michigan GOP primary

(Image credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

published 5 March 2016

A new poll by the American Research Group brings good news for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Among likely Republican primary voters in Michigan, 33 percent said they supported Kasich, good for first place in the poll. Donald Trump took second with 31 percent of voters pledging their support, while neither Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) nor Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) broke the 20 percent mark.

That's a huge swing for Kasich, whose performance in the GOP debate Thursday in Detroit seems to have boosted his standing in the Wolverine State. In the last poll conducted by ARG back in mid-February, Kasich garnered just 17 percent support, far behind Trump's then-leading 35 percent.

The poll, which was conducted among 400 voters reached via telephone between March 4 and March 5, has a margin of error of ±5 percentage points. Voters will cast ballots in the Michigan primary on Tuesday, March 8.