LANSING, Mich. — A clear majority of Michigan voters want the state to stop collecting its gas tax for a while, and half say the issue could sway their vote, according to a new statewide survey released two weeks before the Nov. 3 election.
The poll from Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing firm, found more than 60% of respondents in favor of a temporary gas tax holiday. It reached 1,008 Michigan voters between Oct. 9 and Oct. 14 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Support crossed party lines but was strongest among Republicans, 72% of whom backed the idea. Older voters were far more enthusiastic than younger ones: 71% of those 65 and up supported a pause, compared with half of voters ages 18 to 34.
The political stakes showed up in another question. Half of all voters said they would be more inclined to support a candidate who favors a gas tax holiday. That figure was 54% for Republicans and 52% for Democrats, but only 43% among independents. Across regions the number held fairly steady, with Detroit and Upper Peninsula voters most receptive at 58%.
In a news release, MRG owner Jenell Leonard said high pump prices are likely to shape this fall’s races, noting that half the electorate leans toward candidates backing a statewide pause to give families relief.
Michigan charges roughly 52 cents per gallon in state fuel tax, money that goes to road repairs. The federal government adds about 18 cents on gasoline and 24 cents on diesel. Prices began climbing in February after Iran shut a key global shipping lane following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, and at the start of October AAA listed the state’s average for regular unleaded at about $4.50.
So far no pause has passed in Lansing. The state Senate let an early October session go by without voting on a 90-day suspension, and House Democrats failed in a bid to force a floor vote on their version. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, speaking to reporters, has urged Washington to suspend the federal tax but has declined to say where she stands on a state holiday, pointing out that the state already dropped the 6% sales tax on fuel.
Road builders are pushing back. The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association has warned in a statement that a three-month pause could cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in road money along with construction jobs.
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