CNN Data Guru Flags ‘Troubling’ Number for Democrats

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten warned Democrats their Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is “historically unpopular” and could be throwing a “lifeline” to Republicans.

Enten broke down numbers out of Michigan’s Senate race on Friday and highlighted some “troubling” figures for Republicans hoping to defeat Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat, recently won his primary against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI).

Citing a Fox News survey, Enten noted Rogers is leading El-Sayed by four points overall and five points among independents (the poll has a margin of error of three points).

This, he argued, is “extremely unusual” and highlights how unpopular El-Sayed is as a candidate:

This is extremely unusual because across the political map, as I was looking at these different Fox News polls, I couldn’t find another example where the Republican was actually leading among independents.

And it turns out that candidate quality may in fact, matter, at least in terms of how voters see it, because in this same poll, the Democratic candidate for governor was ahead. So this is unique to the Senate race, and it is quite a troubling result for Democrats and quite a heartening one for Republicans.