Detroit City Wire

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is delivering a message against China and electric vehicles (EVs) that resonates with rural and Republican voters in Michigan. A recent poll by the Detroit Regional Chamber indicates that 67% of Republican voters and 59% of rural voters believe Michigan should not compete in the global EV market dominated by Chinese automakers.

The survey, conducted by the Glengariff Group, also found that 51% of independent voters do not support U.S. involvement in the EV industry. Meanwhile, only 17% of strong Democratic voters agree with taking a defeatist stance on competing globally with China for the EV market.

Metro Detroit shows a contrasting perspective, where 55% of likely voters favor aggressive competition in manufacturing EVs. In contrast, less than 42% of voters elsewhere in Michigan share this view. The poll was conducted between September 12-15 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Pollster Richard Czuba stated, “This is what voters on the right (in Michigan) are hearing from the candidates and these are, frankly, a lot of short-term political gain versus long-term economic loss.”

Trump's campaign trail highlights include opposition to a $2.4 billion battery plant project by Gotion Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese company, which aims to create over 2,000 jobs in Mecosta County. This project has become politically contentious among Republicans and some independents.

Despite this resistance, when asked about competing with Mexico for Chinese investment providing "good wage" jobs, 57% of surveyed likely voters supported it. However, more than half of Republican and rural voters opposed it.

Sandy K. Baruah, CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, emphasized avoiding past mistakes when Japanese automakers bypassed Michigan for Southern states in the '70s: “We firmly believe that those strategic errors should not be repeated.” However, Baruah refrained from commenting on political rhetoric regarding EVs and Chinese investments.

The chamber’s poll suggests a need for different messaging to engage rural voters about Michigan's role in the EV industry by framing it as competition within the United States rather than against foreign entities like China or Mexico.

Czuba noted voter sentiment shifts significantly when comparing state-to-state competition: “They very much view this as a competition within the United States."