Steve Mitchell, a prominent Michigan pollster, is accusing state Sen. Mallory McMorrow's Senate campaign of pressuring a state capitol news outlet into killing a survey showing McMorrow trailing badly in the Democratic primary for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat.
The poll was conducted on behalf of Michigan Information & Research Service (MIRS), an independent news outlet covering the state capitol that Mitchell's firm regularly works with. According to Mitchell, MIRS ultimately chose not to publish the survey after pushback from the McMorrow campaign.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive supporters of Abdul El-Sayed, the Bernie Sanders-backed candidate who led in the disputed poll at 42 percent, say the controversy highlights the lengths establishment-aligned campaigns will go to suppress unfavorable data. El-Sayed's supporters argue that strong progressive momentum is being reflected in polling and that party insiders are worried about his candidacy.
"A campaign for a seat that belongs to all Michigan voters should welcome transparency," said one Democratic strategist who spoke on condition of anonymity. "When you see polls killed rather than debated on their merits, it raises questions about what the McMorrow campaign is afraid of."
Progressive organizations backing El-Sayed have pointed to his strong polling as evidence of genuine voter enthusiasm for his Medicare for All platform and his message on reducing prescription drug costs.
What the Right Is Saying
McMorrow's campaign rejected the characterization that they pressured MIRS, saying they simply raised legitimate methodological concerns about an open-access survey that could allow multiple voting. Campaign spokesperson Jackson Boaz said the poll "didn't meet their standards" and noted it was conducted through a flawed SurveyMonkey-style link rather than controlled sampling.
The campaign highlighted specific data anomalies: 0 percent of Black voters were shown as undecided, Detroit-area respondents showed near-zero undecided rates while other regions had up to 54 percent undecided, and McMorrow registered just 5 percent support in her home base of Oakland County. The campaign said these results suggested the poll was not a scientifically valid sample.
"Voicing concerns about a poll isn't a pressure campaign," Boaz stated. "They chose not to publish a survey that is deeply flawed."
What the Numbers Show
According to Mitchell's unpublished poll, the race stood at: Abdul El-Sayed 42 percent, Rep. Haley Stevens 33 percent, and Mallory McMorrow at 6 percent in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary.
McMorrow has trailed both opponents in a number of recent public surveys, though this would represent a new low if accurate. The disputed survey was conducted by Mitchell Research & Communications using text-to-web methodology.
Kyle Melinn, MIRS news editor who killed the poll, said he consulted with other unnamed pollsters who shared concerns about the methodology before deciding not to publish. He confirmed the McMorrow campaign raised issues but said "they were pressuring me to not run the poll."
The Michigan Senate seat is considered crucial for control of the U.S. Senate majority. Democrats currently hold a narrow majority and view retaining this open seat as essential.
The Bottom Line
The controversy underscores how internal polling data can shape political strategy in competitive races. If Mitchell's numbers are accurate, McMorrow faces significant challenges heading into August despite substantial name recognition and party establishment support.
McMorrow's campaign has challenged any credible pollster to stand by the methodology used in this survey, effectively daring opponents to validate similar approaches. The race remains fluid with six weeks until the primary, and both sides will likely continue debating polling methodologies as more data becomes public.