A majority of local officials in Michigan say the state is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new survey from the University of Michigan.
The findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders taken in the spring 2026, and aim to serve as a “vibe check” to compare changing attitudes year-over-year.
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While the university itself acknowledges the surveys are steeped in political partisanship — with 65% of this year’s respondents self-identifying as Republicans, 21% identifying as Democrats and 14% as independents — it offers insights into broader trends of political optimism across party lines.
This year’s survey showed that only 26% of local officials believed the state was on the right track, representing a 6-point drop from 2025 and reversing a three-year trend in improving attitudes about the state’s overall direction.
“Michigan local leaders’ increased pessimism about the state’s direction this year seems to be more tied to statewide economic and political concerns, especially with the state legislature, rather than local ones,” said Debra Horner, the survey’s senior program manager. “When asked about the direction of their own communities, 87% statewide say they’re on the right track.”
Other key takeaways include:
- Around 26% of respondents rated Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s performance as “excellent or good” — down three points from the consistent ratings she’s received since 2021
- 41% rated Whitmer’s performance as “poor” — up slightly from 38% in 2023 and 2025.
- Ratings of “poor” for lawmakers’ performance jumped from 28% in 2025 to 40% this year
- Those who view the legislature’s performance as either “excellent” or “good” dropped from 18% in 2025 to 11% this year — the lowest level since tracking began in 2011
- Around 14% of respondents were unsure about the direction the state is headed, consistent with past surveys
- Roughly two-thirds of self-identified Democrats (65%) thought Michigan is headed in the right direction, down sharply from 85% in 2023
- A third (33%) of local officials who self-identify as Independents said the state is headed in the right direction, down slightly from last year
- Only 15% of Republican local officials say the state is going in the right direction, down from the 20% who said the same in 2025.
The survey, first launched in 2011, is facilitated each year by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy. Information for this year was gathered between March and June via its census survey of 1,856 local governments statewide.