Senator Debbie Stabenow enjoys a healthy 20-28 percentage point edge against the three Republicans vying to challenge her in the general election.

The Senator leads Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard 56% to 31%, former Detroit city councilman Rev. Keith Butler 54% to 34%, and Rev. Jerry Zandstra 58% to 30%. Since early December, Stabenow has widened her leads over Zandstra and Bouchard by 8 and 9 percentage points respectively, while adding only one point to her lead over Butler.

The Senator thus resides in the 50%+ territory that Governor Jennifer Granholm has yet to enter.

Senator Stabenow is viewed favorably by 57% of respondents. Twenty-three percent (23%) view Bouchard favorably, 25% view Butler favorably, and just 17% view Zandstra favorably.

A comparable percentage of voters look unfavorably on each Republican. But 50% are unsure what to think of Bouchard, 47% are unsure of Butler, and 57% are unsure of Zandstra. The tone of the race could change when the Republican nominee is selected and enjoys higher name recognition.

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Butler has collected endorsements from many prominent Republicans, including former Congressmen Jack Kemp and J.C. Watts. The National Republican Senatorial Committee apparently favors Bouchard. But so far each Republican candidate gets about the share of the conservative and GOP vote, some two thirds, when matched against Stabenow.

Senator Stabenow is serving her first term, wrested in 2000 by a single percentage point from incumbent Senator Spencer Abraham, said to have heavily outspent her.

The Associated Press reports that as the current incumbent, Stabenow now does better as a fundraiser, with $5.7 million on hand as the election year begins. Although the financial reporting of her Republican rivals is incomplete, to date she has apparently raised more than all three combined.

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