1918 Michigan gubernatorial election

1918 Michigan gubernatorial election
November 5, 1918
 
Nominee Albert E. Sleeper John W. Bailey
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 266,738 158,142
Percentage 61.41% 36.41%
County results
Sleeper:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Governor before election

Albert E. Sleeper
Republican

 Elected Governor

Albert E. Sleeper
Republican

The 1918 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1918. Incumbent Republican Albert E. Sleeper defeated Democratic candidate John W. Bailey with 61.41% of the vote.

Primary election

Michigan held primary elections on August 27, 1918.[1]

Republican party

Incumbent governor Albert E. Sleeper was renominated without opposition.

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Albert E. Sleeper (inc.) 206,316 99.90%
Republican Scattering 211 0.10%
Total votes 206,527 100.00%

Democratic party

John W. Bailey secured the Democratic nomination over Edward Frensdorf.

Candidates

  • John W. Bailey, former mayor of Battle Creek
  • Edward Frensdorf, member of Board of Prison Control[3]

Results

Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John W. Bailey 20,765 56.38%
Democratic Edward Frensdorf 16,044 43.56%
Democratic Scattering 19 0.05%
Total votes 36,828 100.00%

Minor parties

Socialist primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Socialist Ernest J. Moore 224 79.15%
Socialist Scattering 59 20.85%
Total votes 283 100.00%
Prohibition primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Prohibition John S. McColl 242 98.37%
Prohibition Scattering 4 1.63%
Total votes 246 100.00%
Socialist Labor primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Socialist Labor John Hinds 135 93.75%
Socialist Labor Scattering 9 6.25%
Total votes 144 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

Other candidates

  • Ernest J. Moore, Socialist
  • John S. McColl, Prohibition
  • John Hinds, Socialist Labor

Results

1918 Michigan gubernatorial election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Albert E. Sleeper (inc.) 266,738 61.41% +5.58%
Democratic John W. Bailey 158,142 36.41% −4.18%
Socialist Ernest J. Moore 7,068 1.63% −0.68%
Prohibition John S. McColl 1,637 0.38% −0.74%
Socialist Labor John Hinds 790 0.18% +0.03%
Scattering 1 0.00%
Majority 108,596 25.00%
Total votes 434,376 100.00%
Republican hold Swing +9.76%

Results by county

Sleeper was the first gubernatorial candidate to sweep every county in the state since Epaphroditus Ransom in 1847.

County[4] Albert E. Sleeper
Republican		 John W. Bailey
Democratic		 Ernest J. Moore
Socialist		 John S. McColl
Prohibition		 John Hinds
Socialist Labor		 Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Alcona 434 65.76% 215 32.58% 8 1.21% 2 0.30% 1 0.15% 219 33.18% 660
Alger 571 64.52% 277 31.30% 25 2.82% 11 1.24% 1 0.11% 294 33.22% 885
Allegan 3,687 69.83% 1,515 28.69% 53 1.00% 20 0.38% 5 0.09% 2,172 41.14% 5,280
Alpena 1,213 62.91% 631 32.73% 72 3.73% 4 0.21% 8 0.41% 582 30.19% 1,928
Antrim 1,024 69.38% 405 27.44% 30 2.03% 12 0.81% 5 0.34% 619 41.94% 1,476
Arenac 707 59.11% 452 37.79% 31 2.59% 4 0.33% 2 0.17% 255 31.32% 1,196
Baraga 756 70.52% 214 19.96% 90 8.40% 10 0.93% 2 0.19% 542 50.56% 1,072
Barry 2,798 65.12% 1,461 34.00% 16 0.37% 21 0.49% 1 0.02% 1,337 31.11% 4,297
Bay 4,901 60.59% 3,058 37.80% 112 1.38% 12 0.15% 6 0.07% 1,843 22.78% 8,089
Benzie 657 62.57% 335 31.90% 44 4.19% 14 1.33% 0 0.00% 322 30.67% 1,050
Berrien 6,059 64.13% 3,169 33.54% 179 1.89% 26 0.28% 15 0.16% 2,890 30.59% 9,448
Branch 2,777 61.47% 1,695 37.52% 28 0.62% 18 0.40% 0 0.00% 1,082 23.95% 4,518
Calhoun 5,697 57.42% 3,981 40.13% 189 1.91% 42 0.42% 12 0.12% 1,716 17.30% 9,921
Cass 2,241 57.29% 1,614 41.26% 48 1.23% 7 0.18% 2 0.05% 627 16.03% 3,912
Charlevoix 1,213 69.27% 476 27.18% 42 2.40% 14 0.80% 6 0.34% 737 42.09% 1,751
Cheboygan 1,201 60.84% 741 37.54% 20 1.01% 10 0.51% 2 0.10% 460 23.30% 1,974
Chippewa 1,608 68.14% 711 30.13% 28 1.19% 6 0.25% 7 0.30% 897 38.01% 2,360
Clare 980 67.31% 444 30.49% 26 1.79% 5 0.34% 1 0.07% 536 36.81% 1,456
Clinton 2,443 69.21% 1,067 30.23% 20 0.57% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,376 38.98% 3,530
Crawford 332 57.04% 237 40.72% 13 2.23% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 95 16.32% 582
Delta 2,083 64.83% 1,019 31.71% 89 2.77% 9 0.28% 13 0.40% 1,064 33.12% 3,213
Dickinson 1,973 66.41% 859 28.91% 109 3.67% 17 0.57% 13 0.44% 1,114 37.50% 2,971
Eaton 3,483 62.40% 2,042 36.58% 32 0.57% 20 0.36% 5 0.09% 1,441 25.82% 5,582
Emmet 1,299 61.77% 680 32.33% 100 4.76% 17 0.81% 7 0.33% 619 29.43% 2,103
Genesee 6,185 64.01% 3,366 34.83% 98 1.01% 1 0.01% 13 0.13% 2,819 29.17% 9,663
Gladwin 913 74.05% 286 23.20% 27 2.19% 5 0.41% 2 0.16% 627 50.85% 1,233
Gogebic 1,808 65.99% 784 28.61% 81 2.96% 59 2.15% 8 0.29% 1,024 37.37% 2,740
Grand Traverse 1,607 65.17% 786 31.87% 70 2.84% 0 0.00% 3 0.12% 821 33.29% 2,466
Gratiot 2,941 67.61% 1,354 31.13% 24 0.55% 30 0.69% 1 0.02% 1,587 36.48% 4,350
Hillsdale 3,156 62.64% 1,836 36.44% 19 0.38% 25 0.50% 2 0.04% 1,320 26.20% 5,038
Houghton 5,780 68.33% 2,422 28.63% 155 1.83% 85 1.00% 17 0.20% 3,358 39.70% 8,459
Huron 2,750 71.32% 926 24.01% 161 4.18% 17 0.44% 2 0.05% 1,824 47.30% 3,856
Ingham 7,891 59.22% 5,162 38.74% 190 1.43% 62 0.47% 21 0.16% 2,729 20.48% 13,326
Ionia 3,572 59.83% 2,327 38.98% 30 0.50% 39 0.65% 2 0.03% 1,245 20.85% 5,970
Iosco 939 72.96% 309 24.01% 32 2.49% 5 0.39% 2 0.16% 630 48.95% 1,287
Iron 1,277 68.18% 518 27.66% 65 3.47% 7 0.37% 6 0.32% 759 40.52% 1,873
Isabella 2,518 66.04% 1,245 32.65% 28 0.73% 21 0.55% 1 0.03% 1,273 33.39% 3,813
Jackson 4,602 52.86% 4,036 46.36% 56 0.64% 1 0.01% 11 0.13% 566 6.50% 8,706
Kalamazoo 4,707 56.67% 3,360 40.45% 173 2.08% 56 0.67% 10 0.12% 1,347 16.22% 8,306
Kalkaska 481 72.88% 161 24.39% 11 1.67% 6 0.91% 1 0.15% 320 48.48% 660
Kent 16,919 60.24% 10,530 37.49% 506 1.80% 119 0.42% 11 0.04% 6,389 22.75% 28,085
Keweenaw 823 88.40% 83 8.92% 20 2.15% 3 0.32% 2 0.21% 740 79.48% 931
Lake 503 78.23% 131 20.37% 9 1.40% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 372 57.85% 643
Lapeer 2,845 74.55% 934 24.48% 15 0.39% 22 0.58% 0 0.00% 1,911 50.08% 3,816
Leelanau 734 75.90% 217 22.44% 10 1.03% 6 0.62% 0 0.00% 517 53.46% 967
Lenawee 5,046 58.99% 3,448 40.31% 34 0.40% 24 0.28% 2 0.02% 1,598 18.68% 8,554
Livingston 2,244 56.87% 1,674 42.42% 9 0.23% 18 0.46% 1 0.03% 570 14.45% 3,946
Luce 459 82.11% 95 16.99% 3 0.54% 2 0.36% 0 0.00% 364 65.12% 559
Mackinac 758 56.65% 569 42.53% 8 0.60% 1 0.07% 2 0.15% 189 14.13% 1,338
Macomb 3,495 64.82% 1,775 32.92% 76 1.41% 32 0.59% 14 0.26% 1,720 31.90% 5,392
Manistee 1,832 56.42% 1,303 40.13% 95 2.93% 10 0.31% 7 0.22% 529 16.29% 3,247
Marquette 3,997 68.43% 1,618 27.70% 175 3.00% 36 0.62% 15 0.26% 2,379 40.73% 5,841
Mason 1,685 66.23% 792 31.13% 52 2.04% 10 0.39% 5 0.20% 893 35.10% 2,544
Mecosta 1,729 71.86% 591 24.56% 65 2.70% 17 0.71% 4 0.17% 1,138 47.30% 2,406
Menominee 2,145 58.88% 1,443 39.61% 44 1.21% 0 0.00% 11 0.30% 702 19.27% 3,643
Midland 1,850 70.58% 739 28.20% 21 0.80% 7 0.27% 4 0.15% 1,111 42.39% 2,621
Missaukee 790 74.88% 247 23.41% 12 1.14% 6 0.57% 0 0.00% 543 51.47% 1,055
Monroe 3,282 51.23% 3,061 47.78% 37 0.58% 22 0.34% 5 0.08% 221 3.45% 6,407
Montcalm 3,235 70.43% 1,310 28.52% 25 0.54% 21 0.46% 2 0.04% 1,925 41.91% 4,593
Montmorency 355 68.80% 152 29.46% 5 0.97% 4 0.78% 0 0.00% 203 39.34% 516
Muskegon 4,494 55.95% 3,229 40.20% 281 3.50% 17 0.21% 11 0.14% 1,265 15.75% 8,032
Newaygo 1,988 74.88% 613 23.09% 34 1.28% 20 0.75% 0 0.00% 1,375 51.79% 2,655
Oakland 6,079 59.83% 3,965 39.03% 69 0.68% 34 0.33% 13 0.13% 2,114 20.81% 10,160
Oceana 1,685 73.07% 560 24.28% 41 1.78% 20 0.87% 0 0.00% 1,125 48.79% 2,306
Ogemaw 829 70.02% 334 28.21% 7 0.59% 12 1.01% 2 0.17% 495 41.81% 1,184
Ontonagon 811 64.83% 337 26.94% 91 7.27% 7 0.56% 5 0.40% 474 37.89% 1,251
Osceola 1,763 77.80% 475 20.96% 17 0.75% 8 0.35% 3 0.13% 1,288 56.84% 2,266
Oscoda 209 73.33% 72 25.26% 3 1.05% 1 0.35% 0 0.00% 137 48.07% 285
Otsego 445 74.79% 145 24.37% 3 0.50% 0 0.00% 2 0.34% 300 50.42% 595
Ottawa 4,538 71.24% 1,649 25.89% 156 2.45% 22 0.35% 5 0.08% 2,889 45.35% 6,370
Presque Isle 1,050 72.92% 348 24.17% 36 2.50% 1 0.07% 5 0.35% 702 48.75% 1,440
Roscommon 299 65.43% 149 32.60% 5 1.09% 1 0.22% 3 0.66% 150 32.82% 457
Saginaw 7,523 58.42% 4,999 38.82% 287 2.23% 27 0.21% 41 0.32% 2,524 19.60% 12,877
Sanilac 3,235 78.61% 824 20.02% 30 0.73% 18 0.44% 8 0.19% 2,411 58.59% 4,115
Schoolcraft 806 68.89% 321 27.44% 35 2.99% 5 0.43% 3 0.26% 485 41.45% 1,170
Shiawassee 3,547 66.32% 1,716 32.09% 49 0.92% 36 0.67% 0 0.00% 1,831 34.24% 5,348
St. Clair 4,996 69.15% 2,151 29.77% 62 0.86% 14 0.19% 2 0.03% 2,845 39.38% 7,225
St. Joseph 2,521 56.52% 1,888 42.33% 41 0.92% 8 0.18% 2 0.04% 633 14.19% 4,460
Tuscola 3,220 76.56% 915 21.75% 42 1.00% 27 0.64% 2 0.05% 2,305 54.80% 4,206
Van Buren 3,624 71.78% 1,346 26.66% 54 1.07% 15 0.30% 10 0.20% 2,278 45.12% 5,049
Washtenaw 5,344 61.89% 3,099 35.89% 143 1.66% 25 0.29% 24 0.28% 2,245 26.00% 8,635
Wayne 50,171 53.46% 41,424 44.14% 1,700 1.81% 212 0.23% 347 0.37% 8,747 9.32% 93,854
Wexford 1,571 67.37% 695 29.80% 37 1.59% 27 1.16% 1 0.04% 876 37.56% 2,332[a]
Total266,73861.41%158,14236.41%7,0681.63%1,6370.38%7900.18%108,59625.00%434,376
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes 1 Scattering vote

References

  1. ↑ "Unique Race for Senate is on at Primary". The Ann Arbor News. August 27, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved July 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Vaughn, Coleman C. (1919). "Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, August 25, 1918". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual for the Years 1919 and 1920. pp. 432–434. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Warden Frensdorf's Removal Is Urged By Atty-Gen. Groesbeck In Report To Governor!". The Jackson Citizen Patriot. Jackson. August 16, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Vaughn, Coleman C. (1919). "Official Canvass of Votes, Election, November 5, 1918". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual for the Years 1919 and 1920. pp. 482–483. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.