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Poll: Bernero Leads Dillon

A new poll shows Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero apparently taking a lead over House Speaker Andy Dillon in the Democratic governor's race.

The poll by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA has 40 percent of likely Democratic primary voters backing Bernero, while 32 percent back Dillon and 28 percent say they're undecided.

The numbers show a shift from an EPIC-MRA poll conducted in mid-June, when Dillon had 34 percent, Bernero 24 percent, with 42 percent undecided.

The telephone poll of 400 likely Democratic voters was conducted Saturday through Monday for the Detroit Free Press and TV stations WXYZ, WJRT, WOOD and WILX.

It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

"During the course of this campaign, we have seen poll numbers rise and fall. The latest numbers don't affect the basic choice next Tuesday. Democratic voters can pick the status quo candidate who is backed by the same old party insiders more interested in protecting their turf than in moving Michigan forward. Or they can choose someone who's been willing to take on the status quo in Lansing to make the changes we need to attract new jobs and growth," said T.J. Bucholz, Dillon campaign communications director.

The Dillon campaign released a statement shortly after the poll was released.

"The powers that be are spending millions of dollars on ads distorting Andy Dillon's record as a business turnaround expert and attempting to distract voters by attacking his personal beliefs. We believe that Democratic primary voters will choose Dillon's independence and bold ideas over Bernero's divisive, old-style politics. And so do the powerbrokers — or they wouldn't be fighting so hard to take Dillon on."

The primary election is next Tuesday.

A poll in the Republican primary is expected to be released Thursday evening.

Copyright 2010 WWJ Newsradio 950. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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