Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

Elections in Michigan, 2018

* General election: Nov. 6
* Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
* Early voting: N/A
* Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

* Online registration: No
* Same-day registration: No
* Voter ID: Photo ID requested
* Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

* * *

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Congressional special elections • Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

<- 2014

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Michigan

Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 24, 2018Filing deadline for candidates seeking Appeals Court, Circuit Court, District Court or Probate Court and partisan and nonpartisan candidates other than judicial candidates
Primary: August 7, 2018
General: November 6, 2018

* * *

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Gov. Rick Snyder (Republican)
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Michigan
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Lean Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic
Inside Elections: Lean Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas and triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Michigan
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
State board of education
State board of regents

Former state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D) defeated Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) and four other candidates in the general election on November 6, 2018, for Michigan's governorship. Activist Garlin Gilchrist II (D) was Whitmer's running mate, while state Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R) was Schuette's running mate.

Michigan came under divided government in the 2018 elections as Democrats won the governor's office and Republicans held the state legislature. Heading into the election, Michigan had been a Republican trifecta since 2010 when Republicans took control of the Michigan House of Representatives and the governorship and maintained control of the Michigan State Senate.

The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Michigan state law, the state Legislature is responsible for drawing new maps for U.S. House and state legislative seats following the completion of the census. The governor has the power to veto these district map proposals.[1] Click here for more information on redistricting procedures.

Incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder (R), who was term-limited, was first elected in 2010 by 18.2 percentage points and re-elected in 2014 by 4.0 percentage points. Snyder was the only Republican to win a gubernatorial or U.S. Senate election in Michigan from 2000 to 2017. Donald Trump (R) won Michigan in the 2016 presidential election by 0.2 percentage points. He was the first Republican to win Michigan since George H.W. Bush in 1988.[2] Of the past ten gubernatorial elections in Michigan, four have resulted in the seat changing hands. The last time a Michigan gubernatorial election was won by a candidate who shares a party with the outgoing incumbent was in 1968 when William Milliken (R) was elected to succeed George Romney (R).

Michigan was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.

Third party candidates who ran included Jennifer Kurland (G), Bill Gelineau (L), Keith Butkovich (Natural Law), and Todd Schleiger (U.S. Taxpayers).

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

## Contents

* 1 Candidates and election results
* 1.1 Lieutenant gubernatorial election
* 2 Candidate profiles
* 3 Polls
* 3.1 PredictIt Prices
* 4 Campaign finance
* 5 Satellite spending
* 6 Race rating
* 7 Noteworthy endorsements
* 7.1 Rick Snyder does not endorse either candidate
* 8 Timeline
* 9 Campaign ads
* 9.1 Gretchen Whitmer
* 9.1.1 Support
* 9.1.2 Oppose
* 9.2 Bill Schuette
* 9.2.1 Support
* 9.2.2 Oppose
* 10 Campaign strategies and tactics
* 10.1 Larry Nassar sexual abuse case
* 11 Noteworthy events
* 11.1 First-ever Libertarian primary
* 12 Debates and forums
* 12.1 Oct. 12 WOOD- TV debate
* 12.2 Oct. 24 WDIV-TV debate
* 13 Campaign themes
* 13.1 Gretchen Whitmer
* 13.2 Bill Schuette
* 14 Social media
* 14.1 Twitter accounts
* 14.2 Facebook accounts
* 15 Other 2018 statewide elections
* 16 Pivot Counties
* 16.1 Presidential results by legislative district
* 17 Election history
* 17.1 2014
* 17.2 2010
* 18 Wave election analysis
* 19 State overview
* 19.1 Partisan control
* 19.1.1 Congressional delegation
* 19.1.2 State executives
* 19.1.3 State legislature
* 19.1.4 Trifecta status
* 19.2 2018 elections
* 19.3 Demographics
* 20 State election history
* 20.1 Historical elections
* 20.1.1 Presidential elections, 2000-2016
* 20.1.2 U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
* 20.1.3 Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
* 20.1.4 Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
* 20.1.5 Trifectas, 1992-2017
* 21 Recent news
* 22 See also
* 23 External links
* 24 Footnotes

## Candidates and election results[edit]

General election

##### General election for Governor of Michigan

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Michigan on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Gretchen Whitmer (D)  |

53.3

| 2,266,193

| Bill Schuette (R) |

43.7

| 1,859,534

| Bill Gelineau (L)  |

1.3

| 56,606

| Todd Schleiger (U.S. Taxpayers Party)  |

0.7

| 29,219

| Jennifer Kurland (G)  |

0.7

| 28,799

| Keith Butkovich (Natural Law Party)  |

0.2

| 10,202
|  | Other/Write-in votes |

0.0

| 32

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 4,250,585
(100.00% precincts reporting)

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Governor of Michigan

Gretchen Whitmer defeated Abdul El-Sayed and Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Governor of Michigan on August 7, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Gretchen Whitmer |

52.0

| 588,436

| Abdul El-Sayed |

30.2

| 342,179

| Shri Thanedar |

17.7

| 200,645

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,131,260

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Governor of Michigan

Bill Schuette defeated Brian Calley, Patrick Colbeck, and Jim Hines in the Republican primary for Governor of Michigan on August 7, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Bill Schuette |

50.7

| 501,959

| Brian Calley |

25.2

| 249,185

| Patrick Colbeck |

13.1

| 129,646

| Jim Hines |

11.0

| 108,735

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 989,525

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green primary election

#####  Green primary for Governor of Michigan

Jennifer Kurland advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Michigan on August 7, 2018.

Candidate

|

✔ |

| Jennifer Kurland

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

#####  Libertarian primary for Governor of Michigan

Bill Gelineau defeated John Tatar in the Libertarian primary for Governor of Michigan on August 7, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Bill Gelineau |

57.8

| 4,034

| John Tatar |

42.2

| 2,941

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 6,975

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Dwain Reynolds (G)
* Kentiel White (D)
* Justin Giroux (D)
* Evan Space (R)
* Richard Sills (Independent)
* Ryan Henry Cox (Independent)
* Bill Cobbs (D)

Write-in candidates

* Evan Space
* Angelo Brown
* Larry Hutchinson
* Robin Sanders
* William Cobbs
* Patrick O’Neal Burney
* Raymond Hall
* Lance Herman
* Henry Lester
* Clyde Lynch
* Chaneika Ranell Penny
* Francis Rowley
* John Arthur Williams

##### Lieutenant gubernatorial election[edit]

General election candidates

* Garlin Gilchrist II (Democratic Party) ✔
* Lisa Posthumus Lyons (Republican Party)
* Charin Davenport (Green Party)
* Angelique Chaiser Thomas (Libertarian Party)
* Raymond Warner (Natural Law Party)
* Earl Lackie (U.S. Taxpayers Party)

## Candidate profiles[edit]

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Gretchen Whitmer, former state Senate minority leader

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: Michigan State Senate (2006-2015), Michigan House of Representatives (2001-2006)

Biography: Whitmer was raised in Grand Rapids and East Lansing, Michigan. She earned her bachelor's degree and J.D. from Michigan State University in 1993 and 1998, respectively. Her professional experience includes working as a prosecutor for Ingham County and a corporate litigator for the law firm of Dickinson Wright.[3]

Key messages

* Whitmer said she loved Michigan and wanted to improve conditions for the middle class so that it more resembled the Michigan in which she grew up.[4]

* Whitmer said she wanted to increase funding for public schools, skills training institutions, infrastructure, and water quality. She said this would create opportunities for middle-class families.[4]

* Whitmer highlighted her record as state Senate minority leader, specifically pointing to her work on Medicaid expansion. She said she wanted to pursue similar initiatives as governor to make a practical difference in people's lives.[4]

Bill Schuette, Michigan attorney general

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: Michigan Attorney General (assumed office: 2011), Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals (2002-2009), Michigan State Senate (1994-2002), Michigan Director of Agriculture (1991-1994), U.S. Representative from Michigan's 10th Congressional District (1985-1991)

Biography: Schuette was born in Midland, Michigan. He received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and his J.D. from the University of San Francisco. He practiced law before entering political office in 1985. After leaving the Michigan Court of Appeals in 2009, he worked as an attorney for Warner, Norcross & Judd.[5]

Key messages

* Schuette said he would be the "jobs governor" and pursue economic policies like decreasing taxes and cutting auto insurance rates to boost paychecks for Michiganders. His website said his "one goal and singular ambition is to make Michigan a growth state, a paycheck state, a jobs state."[6]

* Schuette emphasized his record as attorney general, saying he took on the Obama administration, sex traffickers, and corruption in Detroit Public Schools to protect the state's residents.[6]

* Schuette said Gretchen Whitmer was too liberal for the state. He compared her to former Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), who he blamed for high taxes and economic stagnation in the early and mid-2000s.[7]

## Polls[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Michigan Governor 2018

Poll | Poll sponsor |  Gretchen Whitmer |  Bill Schuette| Undecided/Other| Margin of error| Sample size
Mitchell Research & Communications
(Nov. 4, 2018)| N/A | 54%| 40%| 6%| +/-3.7| 701
Target Insyght
(Oct. 22-24, 2018)| N/A | 48%| 44%| 8%| +/-3.0| 800
Glengariff Group Inc.
(Oct. 25-27, 2018)| The Detroit News and WDIV | 50%| 38%| 12%| +/-4.0| 600
Mitchell Research and Communications
(Oct. 25, 2018)| N/A | 48%| 43%| 9%| +/-5.0| 400
EPIC-MRA
(Oct. 18-23, 2018)| Detroit Free Press, WLNS-TV 6, WOOD-TV 8, WJRT-TV 12 | 46%| 41%| 13%| +/-4.0| 600
ALG Research
(Oct. 15-21, 2018)| Whitmer campaign | 47%| 36%| 17%| +/-3.3| 906
Marketing Resource Group
(Oct. 14-18, 2018)| N/A | 50%| 36%| 14%| +/-4.0| 600
Mitchell Research & Communications
(September 30-Oct. 7, 2018)| The Michigan Chamber of Commerce | 46%| 38%| 16%| +/-3.8| 654
Glengariff Group Inc.
(September 20-Oct. 2, 2018)| The Detroit News and WDIV | 47%| 35%| 18%| +/-4.0| 600
EPIC-MRA
(September 21-25, 2018)| The Detroit Free Press, WLNS TV 6, WOOD TV, and WJRT TV 12 | 45%| 37%| 18%| +/-4.0| 600
Ipsos Public Affairs
(September 14-21, 2018)| Thomson Reuters/University of Virginia | 52%| 31%| 26%| +/-3.3| 1,150
Mitchell Research and Communications
(September 12-13, 2018)| MIRS | 48%| 38%| 14%| +/-3.0| 1,009
Target-Insyght
(September 10-14, 2018)| MIRS | 50%| 41%| 9%| +/-3.0| 800
Strategic National
(September 8-9, 2018)| WJML | 49%| 39%| 12%| +/-3.1| 1,000
AVERAGES| |  48.57%|  38.36%|  13.71%|  +/-3.66|  744.29
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Click [show] to view older polls|

|

|  | Michigan Governor 2018

Poll | Poll sponsor |  Gretchen Whitmer |  Bill Schuette| Undecided/Other| Margin of Error| Sample Size
Glengariff Group Inc.
(September 5-7, 2018)| The Detroit News and WDIV-TV | 50%| 36%| 14%| +/-4.0| 400
Strategic National
(August 13-14, 2018)| WJML[8] | 45%| 36%| 19%| +/-3.7| 700
Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

### PredictIt Prices[edit]

This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.

## Campaign finance[edit]

## Satellite spending[edit]

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[9][10][11]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

* Americans for Prosperity (AFP)
* On September 5, AFP announced a $1.6 million television and digital ad campaign opposing Whitmer.[12]
* On June 13, 2018, AFP launched a $1.7 million ad campaign in opposition to the candidacy of Gretchen Whitmer (D). The ad compared Whitmer's policies to those of former Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), citing Whitmer's votes on budget and taxation proposals.[13]

* Democratic Governors Association (DGA)
* On March 15, 2018, the DGA announced that it had reserved $20 million worth of advertisements in four states on behalf of Democratic candidates for governor, including Michigan. In a press release announcing the ad buy, Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson said that "electing more Democratic governors is the best way to fight Republican gerrymandering and take back control of the House. Democrats are on offense this year, and the DGA is fully committed to winning these key redistricting races."[14]

* Everytown for Gun Safety said it would spend $8 million to $10 million in four gubernatorial races, including Michigan.[15]

* The Republican Governors Association (RGA)
* On October 24, the RGA and the Republican Party of Michigan announced they would spend $1.2 million on pro-Schuette ads before the election.[16]
* On September 4, the RGA announced that it was decreasing its ad buy in Michigan from $7.1 million to $5.6 million, specifically by pulling television advertisements from the metro Detroit and Grand Rapids markets.[17]
* The RGA affiliate State Solutions launched an ad supporting Bill Schuette on August 31.[18] As of early September it had invested more than $1 million in the race.[17]

## Race rating[edit]

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

* Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
* Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
* Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[19]
* Tossup ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[20][21][22]

Race ratings: Michigan gubernatorial election, 2018

Race tracker| Race ratings
| November 5, 2018| October 30, 2018| October 23, 2018| October 16, 2018
The Cook Political Report| Lean Democratic| Lean Democratic| Lean Democratic| Lean Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales| Lean Democratic| Lean Democratic| Lean Democratic| Lean Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball| Likely Democratic| Likely Democratic| Likely Democratic| Likely Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

## Noteworthy endorsements[edit]

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes links to endorsement lists published on campaign websites, if available. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

* Gretchen Whitmer

* Bill Schuette

Noteworthy general election endorsements

Endorsement  | Whitmer (D)  | Schuette (R)
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)[23] |  |  ✔
Former President Barack Obama (D)[24] |  ✔  |
Vice President Mike Pence (R)[25] |  |  ✔
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)[26] |  ✔  |
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (D)[27] |  ✔  |
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)[28] |  ✔  |
Hillary Clinton (D)[29] |  ✔  |
Organizations
National Rifle Association[30] |  |  ✔
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce[31] |  |  ✔
Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce[32] |  ✔  |
Newspapers
The Detroit Free Press[33] |  ✔  |
Click here to see a list of endorsements before the August 7 Democratic primary|

|

|  | Democratic candidate endorsements

Endorsement  | Date  | El-Sayed | Thanedar | Whitmer
Federal officials
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I)[34] |  Jul 26, 2018  |  ✔  |  |
Sen. Carl Levin (D)[35] |  May 24, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Rep. Dan Kildee (D)[36] |  March 13, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D)[36] |  March 13, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Rep. Sandy Levin (D)[36] |  March 13, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D)[36] |  March 13, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
National figures
Michael Moore[37] |  July 19, 2018  |  ✔  |  |
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)[38] |  July 2, 2018  |  ✔  |  |
Shaun King[39] |  January 30, 2018  |  ✔  |  |
Organizations
Service Employees International Union[40] |  July 23, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
The Detroit News[41] |  July 18, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Our Revolution[42] |  May 5, 2018  |  ✔  |  |
Democracy for America[43] |  April 26, 2018  |  ✔  |  |
Michigan AFL-CIO[44] |  April 11, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
American Federation of Teachers—Michigan[45] |  March 27, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
United Auto Workers[46] |  March 19, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Teamsters Joint Council 43[47] |  March 9, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Justice Democrats[48] |  February 22, 2018  |  ✔  |  |
Michigan Education Association[49] |  January 15, 2018  |  |  |  ✔
Michigan Nurses Association[50] |  November 13, 2017  |  ✔  |  |
EMILY's List[51] |  March 14, 2017  |  |  |  ✔
Southwest Michigan for Progress[52] |  Unknown |  ✔  |  |
Click here to see a list of endorsements before the August 7 Republican primary|

|

|  | Republican candidate endorsements

Endorsement  | Date  | Calley | Colbeck | Hines | Schuette
Federal officials
Rep. Tim Walberg (R)[53] |  June 13, 2018  |  |  |  |  ✔
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)[54] |  January 3, 2018  |  |  ✔  |  |
Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.)[55] |  December 7, 2017  |  |  |  |  ✔
Vice President Mike Pence (R)[56] |  November 27, 2017  |  |  |  |  ✔
President Donald Trump (R)[57] |  September 17, 2017  |  |  |  |  ✔
National figures
Musician Ted Nugent[58] |  November 16, 2017  |  |  |  |  ✔
Local figures
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard[59] |  October 30, 2017  |  |  |  |  ✔
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson[60] |  October 23, 2017  |  |  |  |  ✔
Organizations
Detroit Regional Chamber[61] |  June 25, 2018  |  ✔  |  |  |
Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce[62] |  June 25, 2018  |  ✔  |  |  |

### Rick Snyder does not endorse either candidate[edit]

On September 6, 2018, incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder (R) announced that he would not issue an endorsement for any candidates on the general election ballot. Snyder had endorsed Lt. Gov. Brian Calley (R) in the Republican primary.

Snyder said, "I have always viewed myself as a traditional politician and there are a lot of things I want to get done before I am finished. So I want to stay focused on getting more and more and better results for our citizens.”[63]

## Timeline[edit]

* October 30, 2018: A Glengariff Group Inc. poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV showed Whitmer with 50 percent and Schuette with 38 percent. The margin of error was 4.0 percentage points.
* October 30, 2018: The Associated Press reported that Schuette would cancel all scheduled television ads except those in the Detroit market.[64]
* October 29, 2018: Hillary Clinton (D) endorsed Whitmer.
* October 29, 2018: Vice President Mike Pence (R) held a rally with Schuette.[16]
* October 26, 2018: A poll by Mitchell Research and Communications found Whitmer with 48 percent and Schuette with 43 percent. The margin of error was 4.0 percentage points.
* October 26, 2018: The Center for Michigan reported that Whitmer had raised $12.2 million throughout her campaign and had about $886,000 in cash on hand. Schuette had raised $8.5 million throughout his campaign and had about $104,000 in cash on hand.[65]
* October 26, 2018: Former President Barack Obama (D) held a rally with Whitmer.[66]
* October 25, 2018: An EPIC-MRA poll commissioned by multiple media outlets showed Whitmer with 46 percent and Schuette with 41 percent. The margin of error was 4.0 percentage points.
* October 24, 2018: The candidates met in a debate on WDIV-TV. Read more below.
* October 24, 2018: The Republican Party of Michigan and the Republican Governors Association announced they would spend $1.2 million on pro-Schuette ads before the election.
* October 22, 2018: A Marketing Resource Group showed Whitmer with 50 percent and Schuette with 36 percent. The margin of error was 4.0 percentage points.
* October 12, 2018: The candidates met in a debate hosted by WOOD-TV. Read more below.
* October 11, 2018: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) endorsed Whitmer.
* October 10, 2018: A Mitchell Research & Communications poll commissioned by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce showed Whitmer leading Schuette 46-38. The margin of error was 3.8 percentage points.
* October 4, 2018: A Glengariff Group Inc. poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV showed Whitmer leading Schuette 47-35. The margin of error was 4 percentage points.
* October 1, 2018: Former President Barack Obama (D) endorsed Gretchen Whitmer.
* September 27, 2018: An EPIC-MRA poll commissioned by four news agencies found Whitmer leading Schuette 45-37. The margin of error was 4 percentage points.
* September 26, 2018: An Ipsos poll commissioned by Thomson Reuters and the University of Virginia found Whitmer leading Schuette 52-39. The margin of error was 3.3 percentage points.
* September 18, 2018: A Mitchell Research and Communications poll commissioned by MIRS found Whitmer leading Schuette 48-38. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.
* September 10, 2018: Glengariff Group Inc. conducted a survey for The Detroit News and WDIV-TV that found Whitmer leading Schuette 50-36. The margin of error was 4 percentage points.
* September 7, 2018: The Whitmer campaign revealed it raised $5 million between January 1, 2018, and August 27 and had about $1.5 million in cash on hand. The Schuette campaign said it raised about $3.5 million during the same period and also had $1.5 million in cash on hand.
* September 5, 2018: Americans for Prosperity launched a $1.6 million negative ad campaign against Gretchen Whitmer.
* August 15, 2018: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) endorsed Gretchen Whitmer.
* August 13-14, 2018: Strategic National conducted a poll of 700 likely voters on behalf of WJML. The poll found that 45 percent would vote for Gretchen Whitmer (D), 36 percent would vote for Bill Schuette (R), and 19 percent were undecided.

## Campaign ads[edit]

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

###  Gretchen Whitmer[edit]

#### Support[edit]

"Boom" - A Stronger Michigan campaign ad released October 9, 2018

"First Day" - Whitmer campaign ad released October 7, 2018

"Battles" - Whitmer campaign ad released October 2, 2018

"Protect" - A Stronger Michigan ad released September 4, 2018

"Since" - A Stronger Michigan ad released August 28, 2018

"Michigan" - Whitmer ad released July 30, 2018

"It's Personal" - Whitmer ad released July 30, 2018

"Fix the Roads" - Whitmer ad released July 24, 2018

#### Oppose[edit]

"Takeover" - RGA ad released October 11, 2018

"Perks" - RGA ad released October 11, 2018

"In Reverse" - RGA ad released September 21, 2018

"Moral Responsibilities" - Schuette radio ad released September 9, 2018

"Left Wing" - Schuette television ad released September 7, 2018

"Worse Off with Whitmer" - Americans for Prosperity ad released September 5, 2018

"Whitmer Is Too Extreme" - Schuette television ad released September 4, 2018

###  Bill Schuette[edit]

#### Support[edit]

"Better Health Care" - Schuette campaign ad released October 17, 2018

"Brigette" - Schuette campaign ad released October 3, 2018

"Lee" - Schuette campaign ad released September 19, 2018

"Mark" - Schuette television ad released September 19, 2018

"Protecting Michigan Families" - Schuette television ad released September 4, 2018

"Paycheck State" - Schuette television ad released September 4, 2018

"Strengthen Job Training" - Schuette television ad released August 31, 2018

#### Oppose[edit]

"Creed" - A Stronger Michigan ad, released October 21, 2018

"Fifteen" - A Stronger Michigan ad, released September 25, 2018

"Earned" - A Stronger Michigan ad, released September 24, 2018

"Condition" - A Stronger Michigan ad, released September 13, 2018

## Campaign strategies and tactics[edit]

### Larry Nassar sexual abuse case[edit]

On September 19, Bill Schuette began to air ads featuring parents of one of the gymnasts who was sexually abused by Michigan State University physician Larry Nassar. In the ads, Lee and Mark Weick praise Schuette for his involvement in prosecuting Nassar, who allegedly abused more than 250 young girls from 1992 to 2015.[67]

On September 21, the Michigan Republican Party released an ad claiming that Gretchen Whitmer declined to prosecute Nassar when she served as the interim Ingham County prosecutor in 2016. Schuette said Whitmer “failed to prosecute” and “chose not to prosecute this case.”

Whitmer denied the claims and said Schuette and Republicans were politicizing the Nassar case in a way that was "hurting the women who bravely came forward and their families."[68]

On September 24, Schuette said that Whitmer did not tell the truth about the Nassar investigation and said this disqualified her from serving as governor. In response, Whitmer said, “My record is supported by both all publicly available evidence and the prosecuting attorneys I served with, and it’s a shame that Bill Schuette and the Republican Party would distort that record in order to try to turn around his failing campaign. As a rape survivor, a prosecutor and an ally, I stand with the survivors who have asked him to stop weaponizing this case.”[69]

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### First-ever Libertarian primary[edit]

In 2018, the Libertarian Party of Michigan held its first ever gubernatorial primary election. The party received recognition as a major party in the state following the 2016 presidential election, in which Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson (L) received 171,136 votes. Under state law, a party is considered a major party if their presidential candidate receives an amount of votes greater than five percent of the votes cast in the preceding election for Michigan Secretary of State, which meant that a 2016 presidential candidate needed to receive at least 154,040 votes in order to earn recognition.

This was the first time that a party other than the Democratic and Republican parties met the threshold required for primary placement since 1996, when Ross Perot's performance in the presidential election earned the Reform Party the right to hold a gubernatorial primary in 1998.[70]

## Debates and forums[edit]

The candidates agreed to the following debates.

### Oct. 12 WOOD- TV debate[edit]

Schuette and Whitmer debated on WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.

See roundups of the debate here:

* Detroit Free Press
* WOOD-TV

"WOOD-TV Schutte and Whitmer debate" October 12, 2018

### Oct. 24 WDIV-TV debate[edit]

The candidates debated on WDIV-TV in Detroit.[71]

See roundups of the debate here:

* Michigan Daily
* The Detroit News
* The Detroit Free Press

"WDIV-TV Schutte and Whitmer debate" October 24, 2018

## Campaign themes[edit]

###  Gretchen Whitmer[edit]

Whitmer’s campaign website stated the following:

“  |

Fix the Damn Roads
To get ahead, Michiganders need one good job and we need to be able to get to that job. But our roads are so bad they cost the average driver more than $540 a year, and none of that fixes a single pothole. We know that we’re not helpless because Michigan gets the same weather as our neighbors do.

While politicians in Lansing vote down road funding solutions for political gain, the dire state of our highways is endangering our people and getting in the way of our economic prosperity. Michigan deserves a governor who will fix the problem and knows how to bring people together to get it done.

More than 70 communities have drinking water systems with higher lead levels than Flint and billions of gallons of sewage currently contaminate our water ways. It’s time to fix it, and fix it right.

To grow our economy and make Michigan a state that businesses move to and can grow in, we must invest in our roads, bridges, water systems, broadband, and electrical grid. Good roads are good for Michigan families and businesses and infrastructure investment is economic development. We can attract the jobs of the future and help businesses grow right here in Michigan.

Now let’s get to work.

My plan would: Fix it and fix it right. Upgrade Michigan’s roads, bridges, and water systems. Invest in good infrastructure because it’s good for business. Make a bold investment in the Rebuild Michigan Bank, a state infrastructure bank that will pay for high quality upgrades and create thousands of good jobs. A strategic plan to dig less and build smarter. Make commutes safer and faster Ensure clean safe water Build a new Soo Lock Connect more Michiganders to high-speed broadband Internet

Make Health Care More Affordable
Everyone in Michigan has a right to quality health care they can afford, and that means expanding coverage and lowering costs. We are reaching a critical point where the cost of health care plans – with skyrocketing premiums and deductibles – is too high for most families, seniors, and hardworking Michiganders. While I’m proud of the work I did to expand health care in Michigan, we have a long way to go. No one should have to choose between paying the rent or filling a prescription. As Governor, I’ll stand up to Washington when politicians try to take health coverage away from people, and I’ll work with anyone who wants to expand coverage, and lower costs of health care, starting with prescription drugs.

Expanding Medicaid. As Senate Democratic Leader, I led negotiations to expand access to healthcare to more than 680,000 Michiganders through the state’s Medicaid expansion. Healthy Michigan added 30,000 jobs per year to our state and $2.3 billion to our economy.

Protecting our care. We fought too hard to let Washington raise costs on seniors, families, and hardworking Michiganders. As Governor, I will defend our health care from these attacks, but we must keep fighting to address the cost of health care and lower the cost of prescription drugs until everyone in Michigan has access to an affordable health plan and can afford their treatment.

Restoring funding to Planned Parenthood so that women and men in low income and rural areas have access to preventative care like screenings and checkups, contraception, and maternity care.

Access to care in rural Michigan by enlisting technology, bringing people together, and harnessing the incredible talent of our state to find solutions to the challenges faced by rural hospitals and care providers. I’m ready to bring people together to find solutions so that every Michigander, no matter where they live, gets the care they need.

Clean Up Our Drinking Water
The health of our communities and the strength of our economy depend on the fundamentals of clean air, safe water, and nutritious food. Every Michigander deserves the opportunity to be successful, starting with their health. That means protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil in which we grow. But disparities in the quality of air and water based on where you live or on your income, have had a devastating impact on the health of our families and our kids. It is this very injustice that caused the Flint water crisis. Water is the lifeblood of our state, and the Great Lakes are at the center of it. Michigan will disproportionately suffer the impact of climate change, and rising temperatures have already done harm to our lakes, but we can change course.

For the sake of our health, our economy, and the nearly 1,000,000 jobs in fishing, farming, and tourism that are anchored on the Great Lakes, we must act now.

As Governor, I am committed to: Clean up our drinking water. As governor, I will fight to clean up Michigan’s drinking water, unlike the Snyder administration’s failures. My infrastructure plan will speed up the replacement of lead service lines across the state so every parent can turn on their tap, bathe their kids, and give them a glass at the dinner table.

Protect the Great Lakes Not just for our rich heritage, their pristine beauty, or the nearly one million jobs they help generate for our state, but because it is our responsibility as the stewards of over 20% of earth’s freshwater and the groundwater that goes with it. Some of my favorite memories include swimming in the Thornapple River, fishing off the dock in Onekama with my brother and sister, and climbing the dunes on Lake Michigan. Climate change has impacted our lakes by lowering water tables and stimulating massive algae blooms. We must also do more to prevent a more aggressive spread of invasive species like Asian carp and lampreys. We in Michigan are defined by our water, and it’s up to us to protect it.

Enter Michigan into the US Climate Alliance When the federal government withdrew the United States from the Climate Agreement, I called on Governor Snyder to join hundreds of mayors and a dozen governors across the nation in committing to lowering carbon emissions. He refused, but I won’t. I am committed to fighting for our air and water.

To lead the world in water policy We have research universities, we have midwestern grit, and we have water. As Governor, I will bring people together to make Michigan a world leader in water policy.

Relying on science, facts and truly independent studies to guide how we address the challenges of balancing our environmental impact, jobs, and the sanctity of our waterways. An oil spill in the Great Lakes would be absolutely devastating to our environment and our economy. We can’t afford to sit around and wait for disaster to strike, we need Governor Snyder and Bill Schuette to stop making excuses and announce an immediate plan to shut down Line 5. Enough is enough. If they don’t have the guts to do their jobs and take action, we’ll get it done when I’m governor. On the day I take office, I will immediately file to enjoin the easement and begin the legal process for shutting down Line 5 to protect the Great Lakes, protect our drinking water and protect Michigan jobs.

Hiring impartial experts To oversee and regulate our emissions standards will ensure that scientists, and not corporate interests, are making the decisions that impact our water and air.

Holding Government Accountable
Michigan’s next governor needs to be laser focused on getting things done that will actually make a difference in people’s lives right now, like fixing the damn roads, improving education and skills training, and making health care more affordable for families.

The problem is that Governor Snyder and Republicans in Lansing have spent the past eight years rigging the rules of Michigan’s economy to favor wealthy campaign donors like Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over regular Michigan families.

Since 2011, Republicans in Lansing have: passed the Emergency Manager law, which created the Flint Water Crisis; put the lives of Michigan veterans at risk by privatizing jobs at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans; doubled campaign contribution limits infusing even more money into state politics; and refused to extend the Freedom of Information Act to the governor’s office and the legislature.

As a result, Michigan’s lack of transparency and accountability earned us an F on a 2015 Center for Public Integrity’s survey. Michigan is now dead last in the nation for state ethics and transparency laws.

My Michigan Sunshine Plan will rewrite the rules in Lansing to work for regular families by making state government more open, transparent, and accountable to Michigan taxpayers. It’s time to get it done, so we can build a better Michigan for everyone to infuse integrity in Governance and earn back public confidence.

My Michigan Sunshine Plan Includes: Tough new lobbying rules including real-time expenditure reporting, and a 5-year “cooling off” period for former legislators, which will be the longest in the nation. Greater transparency requirements for the MEDC including stronger accountability measures for job creation. Repealing the 2012 Emergency Manager law restoring local elected government. Reversing the Citizens United on steroids legislation that allows unlimited campaign spending. Expanding the Freedom of Information Act to include the governor’s office and legislature. Strengthening the Open Meetings Act to provide for the live streaming of all state board and commission meetings. Ending partisan gerrymandering and creating an Independent Redistricting Commission. Vetoing all legislation that is designed to circumvent the public’s right to referendum and pursuing legislative change to prohibit future abuses. Passing personal financial disclosure and conflict of interest laws for political candidates and senior appointees. Requiring accountability for campaign robocalls.

Better Skills, Better Jobs
There was a time when people from all over the world moved their families to Michigan in search of economic opportunity. Michiganders created the middle-class and put the world on wheels. Michigan was synonymous with innovation. We built great things. We offered a quality of life that was second to none.

That’s not reality for a lot of Michiganders today. Many Michigan families are struggling to get by. We have an economy of Haves and Have-Nots. According to the United Way’s 2017 Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) Report, 40 percent of Michiganders struggle to pay for basic necessities. Things like housing, food, transportation and health care are should be guarantees to every Michigander across the state, but they aren’t. Parents tell me all the time about their kids who move out of state, looking for opportunity elsewhere. Michigan’s median income is more than $5,000 below the national average, our roads are crumbling, almost 100 communities lack access to clean, drinkable water, and nearly 40 percent of our population is not working.

Michigan’s “economic comeback” eludes a lot of small business owners, the working class, women, and people of color. At the same time, we are short on the skilled workforce that was once our hallmark. We must get more Michiganders on the path to high-wage skills, because a concentration of talent benefits us all. Michigan must target, grow, and recruit the strongest, fastest growing industries of the future and offer the talent, place, education and infrastructure necessary to compete with the world.

That’s why this jobs plan focuses on raising household incomes by expanding education and skills training, investing in our infrastructure, aggressively pursuing economic development and supporting small business growth so that everyone has a path to a good job and a secure future. It’s not a real comeback until everyone feels it. Every Michigander deserves a path to a high-wage skill, economic opportunity and an income that supports their family.

My plan for improving Michigan’s economy and creating high-paying jobs focuses on: High-Wage Skills Closing the Economic Inequity Gap Unleashing Michigan’s Economic Development Potential Helping Small Businesses Compete

Improve Education & Skills Training
A generation ago, Michigan led the world in public education. This was the state families packed up and moved to because parents knew their children could get a quality education and the skills they needed to get a good-paying job. As a mom with two daughters in high school, these are the same opportunities I want for my own kids.

But over the past eight years, Republicans in Lansing have sided with Betsy DeVos to push an education agenda that included slashing school funding, expanding unaccountable for-profit managed charter schools, over-emphasizing standardized tests, attacking hard-working educators and adopting a one-size fits all approach to education that has left our kids behind.

This agenda has resulted in Michigan being near the bottom of the country on almost every meaningful metric from student literacy to college preparedness. Our educational crisis affects urban, rural and suburban school systems alike, and it disproportionately affects kids who are at-risk or have special needs.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

Michigan needs a governor who knows how to get things done to fix our schools, so every student has the support, tools and skills they need to compete for high-wage jobs and have full and productive lives. Students are preparing for jobs that don’t even exist today, which means we must teach them how to think critically, to problem solve complex issues and to work as a team. That’s what this agenda is all about.

My plan focuses on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. We will prioritize early childhood education funding and get Michigan on a path to universal preschool to ensure that when kids enter kindergarten, they are ready to learn.

When children enter school, they need safe classrooms with high quality teachers to meet them where they are and help them succeed. Michigan will respect our educators and treat them as professionals, instead of attacking them for Lansing’s policy failures. We will expand offerings that give every child – regardless of their zip code – exposure to a full curriculum of classes and opportunities to find the right path for their future.

Lastly, when a child reaches high school, we need to help them develop a plan so they leave prepared for further education – be it with a certificate in the skilled trades, technical apprenticeship or to pursue a college track career. We must provide pathways of equal rigor for all these options. We will expose students to a wider variety of jobs earlier, so they have time to pursue classes that prepare them for life in the workforce. If their path is college, we will help them select the best one for their needs and provide a two-year debt-free talent investment if they work hard.

Making these changes won’t be easy, but I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work with anyone who is serious about finding solutions to improve our schools and help every student build a good life right here in Michigan.

My plan for improving public education focuses on: Quality Education from Cradle to Career Paths to Prosperity with a Highly Educated Workforce Respect for Educators Stabilizing School Funding and Improving Accountability

Fighting Urban Poverty
Michigan used to be the place people flocked to for opportunity. Our cities were bustling with jobs and growing rapidly. This was the state families of varying races, nationalities and religions packed up and moved to because they knew the jobs that were available paid fair wages – regardless of the color of your skin.

This was the place where automaking jobs provided a ladder up into the middle class for thousands of Michigan families, where you could earn enough to raise a family and buy the car you built at the factory. Michigan built the middle-class and created pathways to opportunity for people of all ethnicities who couldn’t find them elsewhere.

But today Michigan cities are struggling. Municipalities across the state have suffered from drastic population loss, severe cuts in state funding for essential services, economic development that fails to reach residential neighborhoods, and a state government that values profits over people – particularly in communities of color.

Many families living in Michigan cities today are struggling just to get by, much less get ahead.

In 2017, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and I joined leaders from urban communities across the state in an Urban Listening Tour. Too many candidates talk about issues they don’t understand without taking the time to have meaningful conversations with real people.

After touring the state and hearing directly from people who face these challenges every day, I have a deeper understanding of the policies our state needs to revitalize our cities, embrace our diversity as a strength and get things done that will help fight urban poverty. Solving these problems will require a strong partnership with state, local and community leaders. As governor, I am committed to bringing people together to build strong, vibrant and healthy communities across the state, so we can build a better Michigan for everyone.

To accomplish this goal, my administration will pursue policies in the following areas: Pathways to Employment Closing the Economic Inequity Gap Safe Communities and Affordable Housing Ending Racial Disparities

Repeal the Retirement Tax
After a lifetime of hard work, we must honor the promises made to our seniors so that they can retire in dignity in the state that they love. But right now working families and seniors are paying higher taxes under Governor Snyder

As governor, I will protect our seniors and retirees by:

Getting rid of the Snyder Retirement Tax, which will put more money in the pockets of Michigan seniors to spend on things like gas, groceries, and prescription drugs – which will help our small businesses grow and create jobs.

Supporting options for independence at home, which should be a reality for more seniors who deserve financial and medical peace of mind. I will stand up to attacks on senior care, and will fight to improve coordinated medical benefits so that seniors can receive the healthcare they need in the comfort of their own homes for as long as they wish.

Working to end elder abuse. As Senate Democratic Leader, I championed laws to create serious legal consequences for elder abuse, and attempts to exploit, neglect, intimidate, harm, or steal from our seniors. As Governor, I will continue to honor, defend, and respect our seniors and their rights.

Women's Rights
When women thrive, we all thrive. However, women of Michigan have been held back by an economy and a state government that does not treat them as equals. Women still struggle with inequity in Michigan’s economy, earning just 74 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn for the same work. When women fight for fairness, the legislature responds by passing anti-women laws. I will stand up for women and turn Michigan into a model state for equality.

As Governor I will continue to fiercely defend the rights of every Michigan woman, including for women’s access to all forms of reproductive care, contraception, and maternity care, paid family leave, and equal pay. The day after the inauguration, I rallied more than 9,000 people at the Capitol to fight back against Donald Trump’s attacks on women and families.

As Senate Democratic Leader I led the fight against Republican efforts to erect more barriers for women in their health care. On the floor of the state legislature, I shared my own story of surviving sexual assault to speak out for all the women they silenced by refusing to hold a single public hearing.

As Ingham County Prosecutor I implemented a new domestic violence unit, and am committed to bringing together university officials, law enforcement, students, and legislators to end sexual assaults on college campuses..

Our Freedoms
We in Michigan once had some of the strongest civil rights protections in the country in the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, but we’ve fallen behind. We’ve got to show up for each other’s fights so that every Michigander, no matter where they come from, who they love, how they identify, or what their faith is, has the same opportunities to be successful and we cannot stop until they do. That means ensuring equity in employment, opportunity, schools, and safety for all people. We are still fighting for fundamental rights when people in our state can be denied housing or terminated from employment for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

We will build justice in Michigan by: Expanding the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Year after year, in the Senate and as a private citizen, I pushed to expand our civil rights laws to include people of all genders, identities, and sexual orientations. We drew the line when lawmakers tried to exclude transgender people from our civil rights laws. And I fought for same-sex adoptions and domestic partner benefits.

Promoting universal voter access, because it is too hard to register and to vote in Michigan, and as a result, fewer people do it. Everyone who applies for a driver’s license or state ID should be automatically registered to vote, and any registered voters should be able to vote absentee or by mail. As a legislator, I fought to ensure valid ballots from our service members overseas were counted, to prevent voters from being turned away at the polls, and to allow same-day voter registration.

Level the playing field in our criminal justice system so that the amount of money in your bank account does not determine the level of justice you receive. As Ingham County Prosecutor, I prioritized rehabilitation programs for nonviolent, first-time offenders to save resources, reduce overcrowding in prisons, and most importantly, to give people a second chance.

Ban the box so that fair hiring practices prevent disparities in our criminal justice system from keeping people out of the labor pool. Ending this discriminatory practice will put thousands of women and men back into stable, good-paying jobs.

Refuse to allow bullying on the grounds of religion. It’s a false choice to say that we can’t have religious freedom while still respecting one another. I’m proud of the work I did to protect our kids in schools with Matt’s Safe Schools law, but we have much more work to do.

Making government smarter and more effective by empowering a diverse set of voices in the cabinet, appointments, and throughout state government. That means creating an Equity Officer in the Governor’s office and empowering the Department of Civil Rights and the Civil Rights Commission.

Serving Our Veterans
We should be ashamed when the men and women who stepped up to serve our nation are forced to wait months for the care they earned, or face homelessness when they return home. I have a long record fighting for Michigan’s 700,000 men and women in uniform whose sacrifices keep us safe, and I’ll hold government accountable for the lack of respect for our veterans that led to incompetence, neglect, and tragedy at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

As governor, I will honor our men and women who served in uniform by: Engaging Valuable Veteran Experience. We must capitalize on the dedicated talent that our veterans have to offer and close the skills gap by working with the US Department of Labor to increase the number of occupations with eligible apprenticeships and leverage federal funding to do this through the GI Bill.

We will work with the National Guard to coordinate training to align with occupational skills and require every state agency to be a veteran friendly employer. We will help build careers for veterans and match qualified vets to many of Michigan’s need-to-fill positions.

Putting training to work because the men and women who bravely defend our country have every right to serve their families and communities with honor and earn a good living. We owe our veterans every opportunity, and must connect them to the paths that lead to good-paying jobs when they return home. Let’s get veterans back into the workforce, help them find jobs, fast-track certification programs, and reduce barriers to opening a business.

Improving care by putting our veterans ahead of politics to make sure they get the benefits and medical care they deserve, including mental health services, addiction care, and counseling. One veteran suicide is too many, and we must do better for our servicemen and women who face the difficult transition of returning home. Michigan has let our veterans down in Grand Rapids, where trained nurses were replaced by a private contractor, leading to the neglect and abuse of our veterans. As Governor, I’ll work across party lines to get more medical staff in veterans homes, increase oversight for service providers, and end the privatization of services for our veterans that led to tragedy.

Returning home should not mean housing uncertainty for our nation’s heroes. I will work with our state housing agency and Michigan banks to help veterans take maximum advantage of VA home mortgage loans, especially in our urban communities.

The Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis attacking our communities is a tragedy and a disease. Overdose deaths in Michigan from opioid abuse jumped 54% in just one year from 2015 to 2016. We cannot blame the victims of this disease. We must put aside partisan differences to confront this crisis head on.

In Michigan, we must take action immediately to: Expand treatment and recovery services. that help our family members and neighbors who are suffering from addiction. I will bring together community partners, medical professionals, state leaders, the federal government, and health providers to increase inpatient treatment services.

Partner with law enforcement and pharmacies to continue building on and expanding permanent drug take-back programs to dispose of unneeded controlled substances.

Invest in treatment courts to ensure access to the resources we need to treat addiction, including diversion and alternative sentencing. As Ingham County Prosecutor, I established policies to make sure that people with addictions could get connected to treatment, instead of going to jail. As Governor, I will continue to fund and support treatment courts.

Hold physicians and drug companies accountable because Michigan has more annual opioid prescriptions than people, and we cannot allow pharmaceutical companies to continue perpetuating the crisis with immunity.

[72]

|  ”

|
|

—Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign website (2018)[73]

###  Bill Schuette[edit]

Schuette’s campaign website stated the following:

“  |

Make Michigan the Jobs State:
Bill will cut taxes, regulations and wasteful spending to strengthen our economy and create better paying jobs because Michigan families deserve a pay raise. He will champion vocational education, so whether our high school graduates are college-ready or job-ready, they will be ready. He will prepare students for careers in the skilled trades, ensuring multiple pathways to progress in our 21st century economy and a secure place in America’s middle class. Bill will fight to make Michigan number one and a place where people come to raise their families.

Roll Back the Granholm Income Tax Hike:
Michigan taxpayers were told by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm that her income tax hike would be temporary. A decade later, she is gone but you are still paying. Bill will fight to roll back the Granholm income tax increase and give Michigan residents more money in their paychecks. A victory by Granholm’s lieutenants guarantees the roll back will never happen and taxes will only go higher.

Cut Auto Insurance Rates:
Bill will slash Michigan’s auto insurance rates, putting more money back in your wallet. He will work with all sides to get legislation passed to give Michigan families a pay raise by bringing rates down.

Provide Our Kids with World-Class Schools:
Michigan’s school test scores are among the worst in the nation. Bill will change this by giving parents and students more choices, and ensuring all kids can read by the third grade. When we give parents a choice, we give children a chance. Bill will provide transportation scholarships for families that can’t afford the transportation costs for their children to escape failing schools and gain access to special programs.

End the Opioid Crisis:
Michigan is gripped by an epidemic of opioid addictions that must be fought on all fronts. Bill works daily to slow the availability of opioids and heroin with a special criminal unit that targets the distribution of these drugs. However, we cannot arrest our way out of this problem, so Bill has supported legislation to limit prescriptions and the recent increased federal funding to create education and treatment programs at the state level that have been lacking. Ending the addiction crisis requires increased education before addiction starts and increased access to treatment programs.

Protecting Women and Children:
With Bill’s leadership, Michigan has made strides in protecting the victims of Human Trafficking and Sexual Assault. As governor, Bill will continue advancing programs to rescue and treat those who have become trapped in a life of sexual slavery and want to reclaim their lives. Michigan must continue to make the testing of sexual assault DNA evidence kits a priority to ensure the victims of these horrendous crimes receive justice and to get rapists off our streets.

Hold Lansing Accountable:
Bureaucrats and elected officials must work for taxpayers, not look out for themselves. Bill will bring the highest ethical standards to Lansing with his plan to require personal financial disclosure for elected officials, make our legislature part-time, mandate that top officials release their tax returns, and expand freedom of information laws to include the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s offices.

Defending Your Rights:
Bill is a strong defender for the rights of the unborn and has been repeatedly supported by Michigan Right to Life. He is an avid hunter and protector of our 2nd Amendment rights. Bill has been repeatedly endorsed by the National Rifle Association and received an “A” rating.

[72]

|  ”

|
|

—Bill Schuette’s campaign website (2018)[74]

## Social media[edit]

### Twitter accounts[edit]

Tweets by Gretchen Whitmer Tweets by Bill Schuette Tweets by Jennifer Kurland Tweets by Bill Gelineau

### Facebook accounts[edit]

Click the icons below to visit the candidates' Facebook pages.

Gretchen Whitmer

Bill Schuette

Jennifer Kurland

## Other 2018 statewide elections[edit]

See also: States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2018

This race took place in one of twenty-two states that held elections for both governor and U.S. Senate in 2018.

A table of where these elections occurred, the names of incumbents prior to the 2018 elections, and links to our coverage of these races can be viewed by clicking "[show]" on the banner below:

States holding both Gubernatorial and Senate elections in 2018

State  |  Incumbent Governor  |  Open Seat?  |  Incumbent Senator  |  Open Seat?
Arizona  |  Doug Ducey |  No |  Jeff Flake |  Yes
California  |  Jerry Brown |  Yes |  Dianne Feinstein |  No
Connecticut  |  Dan Malloy |  Yes |  Chris Murphy |  No
Florida  |  Rick Scott |  Yes |  Bill Nelson |  No
Hawaii  |  David Ige |  No |  Mazie Hirono |  No
Maine  |  Paul LePage |  Yes |  Angus King |  No
Maryland  |  Larry Hogan |  No |  Ben Cardin |  No
Massachusetts  |  Charlie Baker |  No |  Elizabeth Warren |  No
Michigan  |  Rick Snyder |  Yes |  Debbie Stabenow |  No
Minnesota  |  Mark Dayton |  Yes |  Amy Klobuchar |  No
Nebraska  |  Pete Ricketts |  No |  Deb Fischer |  No
Nevada  |  Brian Sandoval |  Yes |  Dean Heller |  No
New Mexico  |  Susana Martinez |  Yes |  Martin Heinrich |  No
New York  |  Andrew Cuomo |  No |  Kirsten Gillibrand |  No
Ohio  |  John Kasich |  Yes |  Sherrod Brown |  No
Pennsylvania  |  Tom Wolf |  No |  Bob Casey, Jr. |  No
Rhode Island  |  Gina Raimondo |  No |  Sheldon Whitehouse |  No
Tennessee  |  Bill Haslam |  Yes |  Bob Corker |  Yes
Texas  |  Greg Abbott |  No |  Ted Cruz |  No
Vermont  |  Phil Scott |  No |  Bernie Sanders |  No
Wisconsin  |  Scott Walker |  No |  Tammy Baldwin |  No
Wyoming  |  Matt Mead |  Yes |  John Barrasso |  No

## Pivot Counties[edit]

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twelve of 83 Michigan counties—14 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008

County  |  Trump margin of victory in 2016  |  Obama margin of victory in 2012  |  Obama margin of victory in 2008
Bay County, Michigan | 12.55% | 5.56% | 15.31%
Calhoun County, Michigan | 12.46% | 1.60% | 9.36%
Eaton County, Michigan | 4.72% | 3.13% | 8.40%
Gogebic County, Michigan | 14.80% | 8.10% | 17.27%
Isabella County, Michigan | 3.66% | 9.28% | 19.26%
Lake County, Michigan | 22.77% | 5.01% | 12.28%
Macomb County, Michigan | 11.53% | 3.99% | 8.62%
Manistee County, Michigan | 15.29% | 5.93% | 13.26%
Monroe County, Michigan | 21.97% | 0.98% | 4.35%
Saginaw County, Michigan | 1.13% | 11.89% | 17.34%
Shiawassee County, Michigan | 19.59% | 3.67% | 8.59%
Van Buren County, Michigan | 13.92% | 0.45% | 8.78%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Michigan with 47.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 47.3 percent. In presidential elections between 1836 and 2016, Michigan voted Republican 60.8 percent of the time and Democratic 34.7 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Michigan voted Democratic four out of the five elections.[75]

#### Presidential results by legislative district[edit]

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Michigan. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[76][77]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 53 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 37.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 43 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 39.3 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 57 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 12.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 67 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 21.2 points. Trump won eight districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

2016 presidential results by state House district

District |  Obama |  Romney |  2012 Margin |  Clinton |  Trump |  2016 Margin |  Party Control
1 | 76.12% | 23.52% | D+52.6 | 74.49% | 22.85% | D+51.6 | D
2 | 75.84% | 23.76% | D+52.1 | 74.45% | 22.64% | D+51.8 | D
3 | 98.21% | 1.58% | D+96.6 | 96.30% | 2.42% | D+93.9 | D
4 | 96.04% | 3.37% | D+92.7 | 92.77% | 5.06% | D+87.7 | D
5 | 96.95% | 2.71% | D+94.2 | 93.33% | 4.83% | D+88.5 | D
6 | 94.15% | 5.34% | D+88.8 | 90.29% | 7.44% | D+82.9 | D
7 | 98.97% | 0.86% | D+98.1 | 96.95% | 1.74% | D+95.2 | D
8 | 97.77% | 1.98% | D+95.8 | 95.72% | 2.90% | D+92.8 | D
9 | 96.42% | 3.28% | D+93.1 | 93.92% | 4.34% | D+89.6 | D
10 | 83.03% | 16.36% | D+66.7 | 80.28% | 16.66% | D+63.6 | D
11 | 69.83% | 29.28% | D+40.6 | 60.65% | 34.79% | D+25.9 | D
12 | 69.66% | 29.46% | D+40.2 | 56.96% | 38.90% | D+18.1 | D
13 | 58.70% | 40.26% | D+18.4 | 47.99% | 46.73% | D+1.3 | D
14 | 63.97% | 34.90% | D+29.1 | 50.54% | 44.29% | D+6.2 | D
15 | 65.45% | 33.49% | D+32 | 62.76% | 31.92% | D+30.8 | D
16 | 65.88% | 33.26% | D+32.6 | 56.06% | 38.69% | D+17.4 | D
17 | 53.64% | 45.27% | D+8.4 | 38.41% | 56.34% | R+17.9 | R
18 | 58.28% | 40.69% | D+17.6 | 50.48% | 44.92% | D+5.6 | D
19 | 47.24% | 51.98% | R+4.7 | 43.64% | 51.18% | R+7.5 | R
20 | 47.63% | 51.76% | R+4.1 | 49.30% | 45.76% | D+3.5 | R
21 | 55.97% | 43.27% | D+12.7 | 54.96% | 40.68% | D+14.3 | D
22 | 62.75% | 36.16% | D+26.6 | 50.97% | 44.23% | D+6.7 | D
23 | 51.61% | 47.53% | D+4.1 | 41.73% | 53.84% | R+12.1 | D
24 | 48.16% | 51.15% | R+3 | 40.03% | 55.91% | R+15.9 | R
25 | 51.35% | 47.82% | D+3.5 | 42.94% | 52.49% | R+9.6 | D
26 | 58.60% | 40.29% | D+18.3 | 56.27% | 37.48% | D+18.8 | D
27 | 74.32% | 24.77% | D+49.6 | 71.48% | 23.39% | D+48.1 | D
28 | 63.19% | 35.81% | D+27.4 | 54.82% | 40.99% | D+13.8 | D
29 | 75.48% | 23.86% | D+51.6 | 69.48% | 26.66% | D+42.8 | D
30 | 47.68% | 51.54% | R+3.9 | 39.34% | 57.11% | R+17.8 | R
31 | 57.26% | 41.80% | D+15.5 | 47.27% | 48.11% | R+0.8 | D
32 | 45.10% | 53.91% | R+8.8 | 30.78% | 64.53% | R+33.8 | R
33 | 43.07% | 56.18% | R+13.1 | 32.28% | 63.80% | R+31.5 | R
34 | 91.05% | 8.32% | D+82.7 | 85.10% | 12.15% | D+73 | D
35 | 81.97% | 17.64% | D+64.3 | 81.81% | 15.71% | D+66.1 | D
36 | 38.24% | 61.04% | R+22.8 | 30.40% | 65.42% | R+35 | R
37 | 59.10% | 40.27% | D+18.8 | 60.06% | 35.59% | D+24.5 | D
38 | 45.76% | 53.61% | R+7.9 | 45.77% | 49.43% | R+3.7 | R
39 | 47.87% | 51.46% | R+3.6 | 45.98% | 49.67% | R+3.7 | R
40 | 46.75% | 52.82% | R+6.1 | 53.61% | 42.72% | D+10.9 | R
41 | 47.73% | 51.57% | R+3.8 | 48.35% | 46.97% | D+1.4 | R
42 | 39.08% | 60.20% | R+21.1 | 35.20% | 59.46% | R+24.3 | R
43 | 44.30% | 54.75% | R+10.5 | 37.46% | 56.79% | R+19.3 | R
44 | 40.04% | 59.10% | R+19.1 | 33.95% | 60.71% | R+26.8 | R
45 | 43.50% | 55.87% | R+12.4 | 43.89% | 51.48% | R+7.6 | R
46 | 38.96% | 60.14% | R+21.2 | 33.28% | 61.11% | R+27.8 | R
47 | 36.64% | 62.49% | R+25.9 | 29.62% | 65.24% | R+35.6 | R
48 | 58.92% | 39.84% | D+19.1 | 42.94% | 51.79% | R+8.9 | D
49 | 70.36% | 28.78% | D+41.6 | 62.12% | 33.46% | D+28.7 | D
50 | 56.32% | 42.74% | D+13.6 | 47.23% | 47.93% | R+0.7 | D
51 | 45.91% | 53.06% | R+7.1 | 35.38% | 58.95% | R+23.6 | R
52 | 51.66% | 47.46% | D+4.2 | 52.00% | 42.81% | D+9.2 | D
53 | 79.38% | 19.51% | D+59.9 | 84.00% | 11.95% | D+72.1 | D
54 | 75.10% | 23.79% | D+51.3 | 72.03% | 23.05% | D+49 | D
55 | 67.37% | 31.61% | D+35.8 | 68.76% | 26.59% | D+42.2 | D
56 | 48.37% | 50.57% | R+2.2 | 35.50% | 59.23% | R+23.7 | R
57 | 49.04% | 49.87% | R+0.8 | 36.78% | 57.21% | R+20.4 | R
58 | 38.71% | 60.10% | R+21.4 | 26.28% | 68.98% | R+42.7 | R
59 | 44.29% | 54.72% | R+10.4 | 32.68% | 61.96% | R+29.3 | R
60 | 72.01% | 26.83% | D+45.2 | 69.41% | 24.00% | D+45.4 | D
61 | 50.04% | 49.13% | D+0.9 | 49.18% | 44.85% | D+4.3 | R
62 | 55.24% | 43.75% | D+11.5 | 46.21% | 48.51% | R+2.3 | R
63 | 44.40% | 54.59% | R+10.2 | 36.73% | 57.51% | R+20.8 | R
64 | 47.70% | 51.23% | R+3.5 | 39.65% | 54.58% | R+14.9 | R
65 | 45.58% | 53.37% | R+7.8 | 34.34% | 59.82% | R+25.5 | R
66 | 49.22% | 49.68% | R+0.5 | 40.21% | 53.57% | R+13.4 | R
67 | 54.11% | 44.79% | D+9.3 | 48.13% | 45.14% | D+3 | D
68 | 74.22% | 24.64% | D+49.6 | 69.86% | 24.09% | D+45.8 | D
69 | 63.28% | 35.87% | D+27.4 | 65.25% | 29.76% | D+35.5 | D
70 | 46.16% | 52.60% | R+6.4 | 31.66% | 61.85% | R+30.2 | R
71 | 51.63% | 47.28% | D+4.4 | 45.73% | 48.08% | R+2.4 | R
72 | 42.84% | 56.25% | R+13.4 | 42.15% | 51.76% | R+9.6 | R
73 | 38.17% | 60.92% | R+22.8 | 38.73% | 55.53% | R+16.8 | R
74 | 38.55% | 60.36% | R+21.8 | 34.41% | 58.80% | R+24.4 | R
75 | 74.68% | 23.76% | D+50.9 | 72.00% | 20.81% | D+51.2 | D
76 | 54.72% | 44.21% | D+10.5 | 56.22% | 36.96% | D+19.3 | D
77 | 40.65% | 58.32% | R+17.7 | 39.18% | 54.16% | R+15 | R
78 | 42.78% | 56.14% | R+13.4 | 35.48% | 58.95% | R+23.5 | R
79 | 47.82% | 51.46% | R+3.6 | 43.78% | 51.52% | R+7.7 | R
80 | 41.20% | 57.64% | R+16.4 | 34.03% | 59.93% | R+25.9 | R
81 | 43.91% | 55.01% | R+11.1 | 29.26% | 65.68% | R+36.4 | R
82 | 43.67% | 55.14% | R+11.5 | 28.22% | 66.56% | R+38.3 | R
83 | 46.42% | 52.52% | R+6.1 | 33.33% | 60.79% | R+27.5 | R
84 | 43.28% | 55.59% | R+12.3 | 28.81% | 66.70% | R+37.9 | R
85 | 49.88% | 48.85% | D+1 | 35.62% | 57.97% | R+22.4 | R
86 | 36.01% | 62.99% | R+27 | 34.93% | 58.61% | R+23.7 | R
87 | 40.02% | 58.70% | R+18.7 | 30.07% | 63.54% | R+33.5 | R
88 | 26.40% | 72.87% | R+46.5 | 25.79% | 68.49% | R+42.7 | R
89 | 37.56% | 61.56% | R+24 | 36.28% | 57.85% | R+21.6 | R
90 | 32.62% | 66.46% | R+33.8 | 32.75% | 60.91% | R+28.2 | R
91 | 50.46% | 48.46% | D+2 | 39.61% | 54.18% | R+14.6 | R
92 | 67.85% | 31.32% | D+36.5 | 58.17% | 36.52% | D+21.7 | D
93 | 46.26% | 52.90% | R+6.6 | 38.97% | 55.17% | R+16.2 | R
94 | 43.56% | 55.67% | R+12.1 | 37.44% | 57.65% | R+20.2 | R
95 | 74.44% | 24.76% | D+49.7 | 66.46% | 29.76% | D+36.7 | D
96 | 53.72% | 45.31% | D+8.4 | 43.05% | 51.44% | R+8.4 | D
97 | 45.55% | 53.21% | R+7.7 | 30.25% | 65.08% | R+34.8 | R
98 | 43.01% | 56.04% | R+13 | 37.35% | 55.97% | R+18.6 | R
99 | 50.75% | 48.05% | D+2.7 | 40.94% | 52.83% | R+11.9 | R
100 | 43.36% | 55.52% | R+12.2 | 30.44% | 64.16% | R+33.7 | R
101 | 48.22% | 50.74% | R+2.5 | 40.48% | 53.98% | R+13.5 | R
102 | 42.55% | 56.27% | R+13.7 | 30.87% | 63.45% | R+32.6 | R
103 | 42.90% | 55.90% | R+13 | 28.62% | 66.46% | R+37.8 | R
104 | 43.58% | 55.39% | R+11.8 | 40.74% | 53.27% | R+12.5 | R
105 | 40.35% | 58.47% | R+18.1 | 31.11% | 63.83% | R+32.7 | R
106 | 45.20% | 53.57% | R+8.4 | 32.06% | 63.22% | R+31.2 | R
107 | 43.34% | 55.54% | R+12.2 | 35.33% | 58.84% | R+23.5 | R
108 | 44.37% | 54.58% | R+10.2 | 32.79% | 62.29% | R+29.5 | R
109 | 53.29% | 45.44% | D+7.9 | 44.75% | 48.82% | R+4.1 | D
110 | 47.04% | 51.62% | R+4.6 | 37.59% | 56.55% | R+19 | D
Total | 54.30% | 44.79% | D+9.5 | 47.36% | 47.59% | R+0.2 | \-
Source: Daily Kos

## Election history[edit]

### 2014[edit]

See also: Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Rick Snyder/Brian Calley Incumbent | 50.9% | 1,607,399
| Democratic  |  Mark Schauer/Lisa Brown | 46.9% | 1,479,057
| Libertarian  |  Mary Buzuma/Scott Boman | 1.1% | 35,723
| U.S. Taxpayers  |  Mark McFarlin/Richard Mendoza | 0.6% | 19,368
| Green  |  Paul Homeniuk/Candace R. Caveny | 0.5% | 14,934
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0% | 50
Total Votes | 3,156,531
Election results via Michigan Department of State

### 2010[edit]

See also: Michigan gubernatorial election, 2010
Michigan Governor, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Rick Snyder | 58.1% | 1,874,834
| Democratic  |  Virg Bernero  | 39.9% | 1,287,320
| Libertarian  |  Ken Proctor  | 0.7% | 22,390
| Taxpayers  |  Stacey Mathia  | 0.6% | 20,818
| Green  |  Harvey Mikkelson  | 0.6% | 20,699
| Other  |  Write-ins  | 0% | 27
Total Votes | 3,226,088
[78]

## Wave election analysis[edit]

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to gubernatorial elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 11 gubernatorial waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

Gubernatorial wave elections

Year | President | Party | Election type | Gubernatorial seats change | Elections analyzed[79]
1970 | Nixon | R | First midterm | -12 | 35
1922 | Harding | R | First midterm | -11 | 33
1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -10 | 35
1920 | Wilson | D | Presidential | -10 | 36
1994 | Clinton | D | First midterm | -10 | 36
1930 | Hoover | R | First midterm | -9 | 33
1938 | Roosevelt | D | Second midterm | -9 | 33
1966 | Johnson | D | First midterm[80] | -9 | 35
1954 | Eisenhower | R | First midterm | -8 | 33
1982 | Reagan | R | First midterm | -7 | 36
2010 | Obama | D | First midterm | -7 | 33

## State overview[edit]

### Partisan control[edit]

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Michigan heading into the 2018 elections.

#### Congressional delegation[edit]

* Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in Michigan.
* Republicans held 9 of 14 U.S. House seats in Michigan, Democrats held four seats, and one seat was vacant.

#### State executives[edit]

* As of September 2018, Republicans held eight of 16 state executive positions, Democrats held four, and the remaining four positions were officially nonpartisan.
* The governor of Michigan was Republican Rick Snyder. The state held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

#### State legislature[edit]

* Republicans controlled both chambers of the Michigan State Legislature. They had a 63-46 majority in the state House and a 27-10 majority in the state Senate.

#### Trifecta status[edit]

* Michigan was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled the state government. Rick Snyder (R) served as governor, while Republicans controlled the state legislature.

### 2018 elections[edit]

See also: Michigan elections, 2018

Michigan held elections for the following positions in 2018:

* One U.S. Senate seat
* 14 U.S. House seats
* Governor and lieutenant governor
* Five lower state executive positions
* 38 state Senate seats
* 110 state House seats
* Municipal elections in Wayne County

### Demographics[edit]

Demographic data for Michigan

| Michigan| U.S.
Total population:| 9,917,715| 316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):| 56,539| 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:| 79%| 73.6%
Black/African American:| 14%| 12.6%
Asian:| 2.7%| 5.1%
Native American:| 0.5%| 0.8%
Pacific Islander:| 0%| 0.2%
Two or more:| 2.6%| 3%
Hispanic/Latino:| 4.7%| 17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:| 89.6%| 86.7%
College graduation rate:| 26.9%| 29.8%
Income
Median household income:| $49,576| $53,889
Persons below poverty level:| 20%| 11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Michigan.

* * *

**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Michigan's three largest cities were Detroit (pop. est. 673,000), Grand Rapids (pop. est. 199,000), and Warren (pop. est. 135,000).[81]

## State election history[edit]

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Michigan from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Michigan Secretary of State.

### Historical elections[edit]

#### Presidential elections, 2000-2016[edit]

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Michigan every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Michigan 2000-2016

Year  |  First-place candidate  |  First-place candidate votes (%)  |  Second-place candidate  |  Second-place candidate votes (%)  |  Margin of victory (%)
2016 |  Donald Trump | 47.5% |  Hillary Clinton | 47.3% | 0.2%
2012 |  Barack Obama | 54.2% |  Mitt Romney | 44.7% | 9.5%
2008 |  Barack Obama | 57.4% |  John McCain | 41.0% | 16.4%
2004 |  John Kerry | 51.2% |  George W. Bush | 47.8% | 3.4%
2000 |  Al Gore | 51.3% |  George W. Bush | 46.2% | 5.1%

#### U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016[edit]

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Michigan from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Michigan 2000-2016

Year  |  First-place candidate  |  First-place candidate votes (%)  |  Second-place candidate  |  Second-place candidate votes (%)  |  Margin of victory (%)
2014 |  Gary Peters | 54.6% |  Terri Lynn Land | 41.3% | 13.3%
2012 |  Debbie Stabenow | 58.8% |  Pete Hoekstra | 38.0% | 20.8%
2008 |  Carl Levin | 62.7% |  Jack Hoogendyk, Jr. | 33.9% | 28.8%
2006 |  Debbie Stabenow | 56.9% |  Michael Bouchard | 41.3% | 15.6%
2002 |  Carl Levin | 60.6% |  Rocky Raczkowski | 37.9% | 22.7%
2000 |  Debbie Stabenow | 49.5% |  Spence Abraham | 47.9% | 1.6%

#### Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016[edit]

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Michigan.

Election results (Governor), Michigan 2000-2016

Year  |  First-place candidate  |  First-place candidate votes (%)  |  Second-place candidate  |  Second-place candidate votes (%)  |  Margin of victory (%)
2014 |  Rick Snyder | 50.9% |  Mark Schauer | 46.9% | 4.0%
2010 |  Rick Snyder | 58.1% |  Virg Bernero | 39.9% | 18.2%
2006 |  Jennifer Granholm | 56.4% |  Dick DeVos | 42.3% | 14.1%
2002 |  Jennifer Granholm | 51.4% |  Dick Posthumus | 47.4% | 4.0%

#### Congressional delegation, 2000-2016[edit]

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Michigan in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Michigan 2000-2016

Year  |  Republicans  |  Republicans (%)  |  Democrats  |  Democrats (%)  |  Balance of power
2016 |  9 | 64.3% |  5 | 35.7% | R+4
2014 |  9 | 64.3% |  5 | 35.7% | R+4
2012 |  9 | 64.3% |  5 | 35.7% | R+4
2010 |  9 | 60.0% |  6 | 40.0% | R+3
2008 |  7 | 46.7% |  8 | 53.3% | D+1
2006 |  8 | 53.3% |  7 | 46.7% | R+1
2004 |  9 | 60.0% |  6 | 40.0% | R+3
2002 |  9 | 60.0% |  6 | 40.0% | R+3
2000 |  7 | 43.75% |  9 | 56.25% | D+2

#### Trifectas, 1992-2017[edit]

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Michigan Party Control: 1992-2021
No Democratic trifectas • 14 years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year  |  92  |  93  |  94  |  95  |  96  |  97  |  98  |  99  |  00  |  01  |  02  |  03  |  04  |  05  |  06  |  07  |  08  |  09  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16  |  17  |  18  |  19  |  20  |  21

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Governor |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  D |  D |  D |  D |  D |  D |  D |  D |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  D |  D |  D
Senate |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R
House |  D |  S |  S |  R |  R |  D |  D |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  D |  D |  D |  D |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R |  R

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Michigan governor election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 - Google News

## See also[edit]

Michigan government:

* Michigan state executive offices
* Michigan State Legislature
* Michigan courts

Elections:

* Michigan state executive official elections, 2018
* Gubernatorial elections, 2018
* Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2018
* Attorney General elections, 2018
* Secretary of State elections, 2018
* State executive official elections, 2018, 2017, 2016

Ballotpedia exclusives:

* State executives compensation
* State of the state addresses
* Trifecta control of state government

|
|

## External links[edit]

|  Suggest a link

|

* Governor of Michigan official website
* Lieutenant Governor of Michigan official website

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ All about Redistricting, "Who draws the lines?" accessed January 24, 2018
2. ↑ 270 To Win, "Historical Elections," accessed October 5, 2018
3. ↑ Gretchen Whitmer for Governor, "Meet Gretchen," accessed September 12, 2018
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 YouTube, "Gretchen Whitmer," accessed September 12, 2018
5. ↑ Michigan Attorney General's Official Website Biography of Attorney General Bill Schuette, accessed October 16, 2012
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bill Schuette for Governor, "Home," accessed September 12, 2018
7. ↑ Twitter, "Bill Schuette on August 30, 2018"
8. ↑ WJML, "Democrats Hold Advantage Over Republicans in Michigan Statewide Races," August 17, 2018
9. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
10. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
11. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
12. ↑ Politico, "Unveiling POLITICO’s race ratings," September 5, 2018
13. ↑ The Detroit News, "Conservative group attacks Whitmer in new $1.7M ad campaign," June 13, 2018
14. ↑ Democratic Governors Association, "DGA’s Announces $20M Buy in “Unrig the Map” Target States," March 16, 2018
15. ↑ Washington Post, "Gun control group’s political arm pouring millions into midterm elections," September 16, 2018
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Detroit News, "Whitmer, Schuette battle for TV ad time in final weeks of campaign," October 25, 2018
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Detroit Free Press, "Republican group shifting advertising money away from Michigan markets," September 4, 2018
18. ↑ YouTube, "State Solutions Michigan TV Ad: 'Strengthen Job Training,'" August 31, 2018
19. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
20. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
21. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
22. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
23. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Trump again endorses Schuette for Michigan governor – this time with spelling fix," September 17, 2017
24. ↑ Twitter, "Barack Obama on October 1, 2018"
25. ↑ The Oakland Press, "Vice president Mike Pence supports Bill Schuette for governor," November 27, 2017
26. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Joe Biden endorses Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan's governor race," August 15, 2018
27. ↑ Michigan Chronicle, "Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Endorses Gretchen Whitmer for Governor," September 10, 2018
28. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Bernie Sanders shifts support to Whitmer in Michigan governor's race," October 11, 2018
29. ↑ The Hill, "Hillary Clinton issues endorsements in key governor races," October 29, 2018
30. ↑ National Rifle Association, "NRA Endorses Bill Schuette for Governor of Michigan," September 25, 2018
31. ↑ MiBiz, "GR Chamber faces backlash over LGBT concerns after Schuette endorsement," September 18, 2018
32. ↑ Crain's Detroit Business, "Detroit chamber PAC backs Whitmer for governor," October 17, 2018
33. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Endorsement: Why Gretchen Whitmer should be Michigan's next governor," October 28, 2018
34. ↑ ClickOnDetroit, "Bernie Sanders endorses Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan governor's race," July 26, 2018
35. ↑ Twitter, "Jonathan Oosting," May 24, 2018
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 The State News, "Michigan House Democrats endorse Gretchen Whitmer for governor," March 13, 2018
37. ↑ Detroit Metro Times, "Filmmaker Michael Moore makes endorsement in Michigan governor's race," July 19, 2018
38. ↑ The Detroit News, "Surprise N.Y. Democrat winner endorses El-Sayed," accessed July 2, 2018
39. ↑ The Michigan Daily, "Shaun King endorses El-Sayed for governor," January 30, 2018
40. ↑ Twitter, "Jonathan Oosting on July 23, 2018"
41. ↑ The Detroit News, "Endorsements for gov primaries: Calley, Whitmer," July 18, 2018
42. ↑ Our Revolution, "Our Revolution Endorses Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan Governor," May 5, 2018
43. ↑ Democracy for America, "Democracy for America endorses Abdul El-Sayed for Governor of Michigan," April 26, 2018
44. ↑ MLive, "Michigan AFL-CIO endorses Gretchen Whitmer for governor," April 11, 2018
45. ↑ Medium, "American Federation of Teachers Michigan Endorses Gretchen Whitmer for Governor," March 27, 2018
46. ↑ Detroit News, "UAW backs Democrat Whitmer for Mich. governor," March 19, 2018
47. ↑ WILX, "Teamsters endorse Gretchen Whitmer," March 9, 2018
48. ↑ Youtube, "Justice Democrats endorses Abdul El-Sayed for Governor of Michigan!" February 22, 2018
49. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "MEA endorses Democrat Gretchen Whitmer as Michigan's next governor," January 15, 2018
50. ↑ The Detroit News, "Nurses’ union backs El-Sayed for Mich. governor," November 13, 2017
51. ↑ Twitter, "Jonathan Oosting," March 14, 2017
52. ↑ Organization communication with Ballotpedia staff.
53. ↑ Twitter, "Bill Schuette," June 13, 2018
54. ↑ The Detroit News, "Ted Cruz endorses Patrick Colbeck for Michigan governor," January 3, 2018
55. ↑ The Detroit News, "Walker endorses in Michigan governor race," December 7, 2017
56. ↑ The Oakland Press, "Vice president Mike Pence supports Bill Schuette for governor," November 27, 2017
57. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Trump again endorses Schuette for Michigan governor – this time with spelling fix," September 17, 2017
58. ↑ The Detroit News, "Ted Nugent says Schuette rocks for governor," November 16, 2017
59. ↑ The Oakland Press, "Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard endorses Bill Schuette for governor," October 30, 2017
60. ↑ Click On Detroit, "L. Brooks Patterson endorses Bill Schuette for Michigan governor," October 23, 2017
61. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Chamber endorses Lt. Gov. Brian Calley in GOP primary," accessed June 25, 2018
62. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Chamber endorses Lt. Gov. Brian Calley in GOP primary," accessed June 25, 2018
63. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Rick Snyder won't endorse Bill Schuette for Michigan governor," September 6, 2018
64. ↑ Twitter, "David Eggert on October 30, 2018"
65. ↑ Bridge Michigan, "$75 million thrown into Michigan governor’s race. Here’s who’s spending," October 26, 2018
66. ↑ Politico, "The state of the airwaves with 2 weeks remaining," October 24, 2018
67. ↑ Detroit News, "Nassar victim's parents praise Schuette for prosecution," September 19, 2018
68. ↑ Detroit News, "Whitmer, Schuette spar over GOP's explosive Nassar attack ad," September 21, 2018
69. ↑ Lansing State Journal, "Michigan AG Schuette alleges opponent lied about Nassar investigation," September 24, 2018
70. ↑ Michigan Live, "First-ever primary ballot puts Michigan Libertarian Party in uncharted territory," July 18, 2018
71. ↑ The Monroe News, "Schuette, Whitmer to meet for 2 TV debates in October," September 22, 2018
72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
73. ↑ Gretchen Whitmer for Governor, “Issues,” accessed September 12, 2018
74. ↑ Bill Schuette for Governor, “Issues,” accessed September 12, 2018
75. ↑ 270towin.com, "Michigan," accessed June 29, 2017
76. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
77. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
78. ↑ Michigan Department of State, "2010 Official Michigan General Election Results - Governor 4 Year Term (1) Position," March 2, 2011 at 12:11," accessed February 14, 2014
79. ↑ The number of gubernatorial seats up for election varies, with as many as 36 seats and as few as 12 seats being up in a single even-numbered year.
80. ↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
81. ↑ Michigan Demographics, "Michigan Cities by Population," accessed September 5, 2018

v • e

Governors

Current Governors|

Alabama • Alaska • American Samoa • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Puerto Rico • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Elections|

2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Features|

States with gubernatorial term limits • Election of lieutenant governors • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • States with gubernatorial recall provisions • Gubernatorial impeachment procedures • Comparison of gubernatorial salaries • Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries • Residences of the American governors

v • e

Lieutenant Governors

Current Lieutenant Governors|

Alabama • Alaska • American Samoa • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin

* * *

Elections|

2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Features|

States with gubernatorial term limits • Election of lieutenant governors • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • States with gubernatorial recall provisions • Gubernatorial impeachment procedures • Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries

* * *

v • e

State of Michigan
Lansing (capital)

|

Elections |

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2021 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government |

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

v • e

2018 state executive official elections

Governor|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Hawaii • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Lieutenant Governor|

Alabama • Alaska • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Hawaii • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Vermont • Wisconsin

Attorney General|

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Vermont • Wisconsin

Secretary of State|

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Louisiana • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Dakota • Ohio • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Treasurer|

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delware • Florida • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Auditor|

Alabama • Arkansas • Delaware • Indiana • Iowa • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Missouri • Nebraska • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • South Dakota • Vermont • Wyoming

Comptroller|

California • Connecticut • Idaho • Illinois • Maryland • Nevada • New York • South Carolina • Texas

Education officials|

Alabama (board of education) • Arizona (superintendent) • California (superintendent) • Colorado (board of education) • Colorado (board of regents) • District of Columbia (board of education) • Georgia (superintendent) • Idaho (superintendent) • Kansas (board of education) • Michigan (board of education) • Michigan (board of regents) • Nebraska (board of education) • Nebraska (board of regents) • Nevada (board of regents) • New Mexico (education commission) • Ohio (board of education) • Oklahoma (superintendent) • South Carolina (superintendent) • Texas (board of education) • Utah (board of education) • Wyoming (superintendent)

Commissioners|

Alabama (agriculture) • Alabama (public service) • Arizona (mine inspector) • Arizona (public service) • Arkansas (public lands) • California (board of equalization) • California (insurance) • Florida (agriculture) • Georgia (agriculture) • Georgia (insurance) • Georgia (labor) • Georgia (public service) • Iowa (agriculture) • Kansas (insurance) • Louisiana (public service) • Montana (public service) • Nebraska (public service) • New Mexico (public lands) • New Mexico (public service) • North Dakota (agriculture) • North Dakota (public service) • North Dakota (tax) • Oklahoma (insurance) • Oklahoma (labor) • Oklahoma (public service) • Oregon (labor) • South Carolina (agriculture) • South Dakota (public lands) • South Dakota (public service) • Texas (agriculture) • Texas (public lands) • Texas (railroad)

v • e

State executive offices

Offices|

Governor • Lt. Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Schools • Insurance Commissioner • Controller • Agriculture Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commissioner

States|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Elections|

2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Features|

Chart of state executive officers • Compensation • Gubernatorial power comparison • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • Irregular office changes • State executive officials serving in home states • State government trifectas • State of the state addresses • Term limits

v • e

Ballotpedia

About|

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

* * *

Executive: Leslie Graves, President • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy

Communications: Kayla Harris • Megan Brown • Mary Dunne • Sarah Groat • Lauren Nemerovski
External Relations: Alison Prange • Sara Key • Kari Berger • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski • Lauren Dixon • Kelly Rindfleisch • Sara Horton • Elizabeth Brown
Policy: Christopher Nelson • Caitlin Styrsky • Molly Byrne • Katharine Frey • Jace Lington • Jimmy McAllister
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Tech Manager • Ryan Burch • Michael Cella • Kirsten Corrao • Margaret Kearney • Tom Reitz

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

* * *

Editorial|

Geoff Pallay, Editor-in-Chief • Daniel Anderson, Managing Editor • Josh Altic, Managing Editor • Cory Eucalitto, Managing Editor • Mandy Gillip, Managing Editor • Jerrick Adams • Victoria Antram • Dave Beaudoin • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Ryan Byrne • Kate Carsella • Kelly Coyle • Megan Feeney • Tyler King • Doug Kronaizl • Amee LaTour • David Luchs • Brittony Maag • Andrew McNair • Jackie Mitchell • Elisabeth Moore • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Paul Rader • Ethan Rice • Abbey Smith • Janie Valentine • Caitlin Vanden Boom • Joel Williams • Corinne Wolyniec • Samuel Wonacott • Mercedes Yanora