US Senate GOP primary: Do voters recognize their names?

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — With Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow retiring, the field has narrowed in both parties. 6 News is looking at the four-person GOP primary.

It’s a pretty good bet that if you were offered $1,000 to name all four of the remaining GOP candidates for Stabenow’s soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat–well, to be generous, most of you would not be counting the cash.

Fifty-four percent of voters are undecided on this race–which is another way of saying the candidates have a tough assignment to build some name ID.

‘Undecided’ leads in Michigan Republican Senate race

For example, mid-Michigan former GOP Congressman Mike Rogers is looking at the 30% of voters who don’t know who he is.

West Michigan former GOP Congressman Justin Amash clocks in with 48% of voters not knowing who he is.

And then there is GOP businessperson Sandy Pensler. He actually ran for the GOP Senate nomination against John James. Despite the statewide attention, 59% of the voters don’t know him.

And 69% of the citizens have no idea that Dr. Sherry O’Donnel is running.

In the head-to-head, Rogers has the lead with 32% of the vote. Amash is next, with a distant second at 8%. Pensler follows with 3%, and there’s Dr. O’Donnel with 2%.

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Rogers, which is why many feel he is the frontrunner, and odds are on the favorite to win.

The challenge for Amash is that he voted to impeach Trump, which means very few Trump voters in Michigan would plunk for him.

The primary is this Aug. 6.

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