Romney Leads Obama by 1 Point in Michigan

New poll numbers out of Michigan today show Republican nominee Mitt Romney holding a slim lead over President Barack Obama in the state. Romney registered the support of 46 percent of respondents, slightly surpassing the president’s 45 percent, according to a new poll from EPIC-MRA, a polling firm based in Lansing.

The poll, a telephone survey of 600 likely Michigan voters conducted June 2-5, represents a stark turnaround from previous polls that appeared to put Michigan out of Romney’s reach, reports the Detroit Free Press.

An earlier survey conducted between May 24 and 27 by Public Policy Polling showed the president with a whopping 14 point lead over his Republican opponent, besting Romney 53 to 39. Obama’s commanding lead in the PPP poll led PPP director Tom Jensen to conclude that Obama “won’t have to worry too much about holding Michigan for Democrats” in November.

The poll also charted a drop in Obama’s personal and job approval numbers, with only 46 percent of respondents reporting a favorable impression of the president, and only 41 percent indicating approval of his job performance.

EPIC-MRA co-founder John Cavanaugh attributed the president’s flagging support to a sustained advertising attack from pro-Romney super PACs in the state, which have flooded Michigan’s airwaves with ads criticizing the president’s handling of the economy.

Romney’s performance in the poll was strong but not uniformly so — 43 percent of respondents reported an unfavorable impression of the Republican nominee, while only 41 percent viewed him positively.