DETROIT (AP) — Concerns about a possible recession may be growing nationally, but it was the faces of Michigan residents struggling with lost jobs, lost homes and lost opportunities that made the economy the focus of the presidential race.

More than half of Michigan voters named the economy in exit polling as their top concern, and scores of voters voiced that concern as they attended political rallies or left polling places Tuesday.

Brenda Mitchell of Southfield, who voted in the Democratic primary, said she sees reflections of the state's economic problems firsthand in her family.

"My daughter has a bachelor's degree in computer science and can't get a job in the field she studied. ... She wants to move out of state, but I want her to stay here," the 51-year-old service representative said. "We have the worst unemployment record of anyone in the country. Every day when you go to work you have to pray that you have a job when you get there."

Ypsilanti resident Judy Bloomfield, 64, saw Republican John McCain speak Tuesday. She said she was looking for a candidate who could help Michigan and its struggling domestic auto industry get back on its feet.

"We want to see our auto companies survive. We want to have a choice to drive our Ford Mustang compared to a Toyota. We still want that choice," she said.

Given four choices, half of Michigan Republican primary voters picked the economy as the most important issue facing the nation — compared to just 26 percent in the Iowa GOP caucuses and 31 percent in the New Hampshire Republican primary. The percentage was even larger among voters in the Democratic caucus: 62 percent, according to the survey for The Associated Press and television networks.

Most Democratic candidates agreed to not campaign or run ads in Michigan to avoid angering Iowa and New Hampshire, which didn't like other states crowding to the front of the election calendar.

But the Republican candidates who came here — Mitt Romney, John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Duncan Hunter — were confronted with numerous images of Michigan's struggling economy, from shuttered plants to unsold homes and continued talk of layoffs. The state has seen its population in the past year dip by 30,500 residents — three-tenths of 1 percent — and its foreclosure rate is among the nation's highest.

Michigan also has the nation's worst unemployment rate — 7.4 percent in November — in part because the state has lost nearly 300,000 manufacturing jobs since mid-2000. The auto industry that makes up such a large part of the state economy is expected to continue to shed jobs through at least 2009 and personal income is growing below the national average.

Now Michigan's economic troubles are beginning to be felt elsewhere. The national unemployment rate has taken the biggest jump since the 2001 terrorist attacks, the stock market is falling and consumers are pulling back on spending, prompting fears of a recession.

Michigan's decision to move up its primary to Jan. 15, making it one of the earliest states to vote, forced the candidates to address economic concerns. Although the state has gained scant sympathy — or promises of assistance — in recent years, the candidates knew they had to propose solutions if they wanted Michigan votes.

Republican Mitt Romney promised to set up an auto industry summit within the first 100 days of his administration and John McCain pledged to retool training programs to help displaced manufacturing workers. Huckabee said he'd change government policies so businesses faced less regulation and taxes, and Duncan Hunter talked about keeping manufacturing jobs in Michigan.

"I think the debate was turning to the economy anyway, but Michigan accelerated that," Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer said Tuesday night. He said he expects voters will hear a lot from the eventual Democratic nominee about ways to deal with health care, trade and jobs once the general election is under way.

Michigan Republican Chairman Saul Anuzis was pleased with the attention GOP candidates gave the state and its economic concerns.

"Our goal from a national standpoint was to educate our presidential candidates about the issues and the problems that are unique to Michigan, and where and what they might be able to do to help us. And I think we accomplished that, at least on the Republican side," he said.

The exit polls were conducted Tuesday in 40 precincts around Michigan for the AP and television networks by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International. The Republican primary survey interviewed 1,362 voters and had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points; the Democratic poll interviewed 997 voters and the sampling error was 5 percentage points.