Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has officially pulled the plug on his independent run for Michigan governor, claiming the political climate turned too toxic and the numbers just weren’t there.
Now the big question: who benefits?
Democrats are probably breathing easier tonight. Some reports showed that Duggan’s independent candidacy was threatening to siphon off moderate Democrats and suburban voters tired of partisan food fights. With Duggan gone, many of those voters may drift back toward Democratic frontrunner Jocelyn Benson instead of wandering into political no-man’s land.
Duggan may have tried to market himself as Michigan’s politically independent “grown- up in the room,” but voters probably haven’t forgotten that he spent decades climbing the ladder as a Democrat in one of America’s most heavily Democrat-run cities.
But Republicans see opportunity in Duggan’s exit too. His dropping out could leave frustrated independents politically homeless – and if the winning GOP nominee can sound even halfway normal for five consecutive minutes, some of those voters could migrate right.