1932 Michigan gubernatorial election

1932 Michigan gubernatorial election
November 8, 1932
 
Nominee William Comstock Wilber M. Brucker
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 887,672 696,935
Percentage 54.92% 43.12%
County results
Comstock:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Brucker:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Governor before election

Wilber M. Brucker
Republican

 Elected Governor

William Comstock
Democratic

The 1932 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. In a rematch of the previous election, Democratic nominee William Comstock defeated incumbent Republican Wilber M. Brucker with 54.92% of the vote. Comstock was finally elected governor after his fourth consecutive nomination by the Democratic Party.

Primary election

Michigan held primary elections on September 13, 1932.

Republican party

Incumbent governor Wilber M. Brucker won renomination against divided opposition.

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wilber M. Brucker (inc.) 341,992 47.75%
Republican George W. Welsh 212,522 29.67%
Republican William H. McKeighan 135,978 18.99%
Republican Orla A. Bailey 13,195 1.84%
Republican James C. Quinlan 12,541 1.75%
Total votes 716,228 100.00%

Democratic party

For the fourth consecutive election, the Democratic party nominated William Comstock for governor.

Candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic William Comstock 249,835 75.52%
Democratic Patrick H. O'Brien 55,828 16.88%
Democratic Claude S. Carney 25,173 7.61%
Total votes 330,836 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

Other candidates

  • John Panzer, Socialist
  • William Reynolds, Communist
  • Charles Elwood Holmes, Prohibition
  • Robert Fraser, Socialist Labor
  • Al Renner, Proletarian
  • Anthony Bergman, Liberty

Results

1932 Michigan gubernatorial election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic William Comstock 887,672 54.92% +12.89%
Republican Wilber M. Brucker (inc.) 696,935 43.12% −13.76%
Socialist John Panzer 20,108 1.24% +0.79%
Communist William Reynolds 7,906 0.49% +0.02%
Prohibition Charles Elwood Holmes 2,031 0.13% −0.03%
Socialist Labor Robert Fraser 1,107 0.07%
Proletarian Al Renner 318 0.02%
Liberty Anthony Bergman 182 0.01%
Scattering 3 0.00%
Majority 190,737 11.80%
Total votes 1,616,262 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing +26.65%

Results by county

This election broke several long streaks of Republican dominance in various counties. In particular, Dickinson County and Lake County voted Demcoratic for the first time ever. Additionally, despite having never voted previously Democratic since its organization in 1891, Dickinson County would continue to vote Democratic in every subsequent gubernatorial election until 1964. This would also be the last time until the 1970s and 1980s that a number of counties voted Democratic. In particular, all of the following counties would not vote Democratic again until 1986: Berrien, Branch, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Midland, Montcalm, Oceana, Otsego, and St. Joseph.

County[4] William Comstock
Democratic		 Wilber M. Brucker
Republican		 John Panzer
Socialist		 William Reynolds
Communist		 Charles Elwood Holmes
Prohibition		 All Others
Various		 Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Alcona 824 46.66% 892 50.51% 46 2.60% 0 0.00% 3 0.17% 1 0.06% -68 -3.85% 1,766
Alger 2,034 56.37% 1,388 38.47% 45 1.25% 134 3.71% 3 0.08% 4 0.11% 646 17.90% 3,608
Allegan 6,326 42.71% 8,314 56.13% 113 0.76% 18 0.12% 32 0.22% 9 0.06% -1,988 -13.42% 14,812
Alpena 3,970 57.54% 2,825 40.95% 89 1.29% 4 0.06% 8 0.12% 3 0.04% 1,145 16.60% 6,899
Antrim 1,625 40.18% 2,307 57.05% 94 2.32% 4 0.10% 9 0.22% 5 0.12% -682 -16.86% 4,044
Arenac 1,958 55.45% 1,502 42.54% 49 1.39% 10 0.28% 7 0.20% 5 0.14% 456 12.91% 3,531
Baraga 2,000 49.84% 1,882 46.90% 8 0.20% 117 2.92% 1 0.02% 5 0.12% 118 2.94% 4,013
Barry 4,210 46.04% 4,805 52.54% 88 0.96% 1 0.01% 33 0.36% 8 0.09% -595 -6.51% 9,145
Bay 14,930 60.73% 9,352 38.04% 281 1.14% 3 0.01% 10 0.04% 7 0.03% 5,578 22.69% 24,583
Benzie 1,345 43.65% 1,645 53.39% 56 1.82% 9 0.29% 6 0.19% 20 0.65% -300 -9.74% 3,081
Berrien 17,944 55.66% 13,923 43.19% 265 0.82% 28 0.09% 47 0.15% 30 0.09% 4,021 12.47% 32,237
Branch 5,408 52.14% 4,811 46.38% 82 0.79% 1 0.01% 64 0.62% 7 0.07% 597 5.76% 10,373
Calhoun 16,164 49.51% 15,905 48.72% 484 1.48% 25 0.08% 53 0.16% 14 0.04% 259 0.79% 32,645
Cass 4,607 49.82% 4,481 48.45% 109 1.18% 8 0.09% 27 0.29% 16 0.17% 126 1.36% 9,248
Charlevoix 2,172 41.78% 2,806 53.97% 203 3.90% 2 0.04% 5 0.10% 11 0.21% -634 -12.19% 5,199
Cheboygan 3,369 58.64% 2,338 40.70% 23 0.40% 7 0.12% 5 0.09% 3 0.05% 1,031 17.95% 5,745
Chippewa 4,022 42.63% 5,279 55.95% 43 0.46% 68 0.72% 12 0.13% 11 0.12% -1,257 -13.32% 9,435
Clare 1,810 55.03% 1,412 42.93% 58 1.76% 3 0.09% 4 0.12% 2 0.06% 398 12.10% 3,289
Clinton 4,859 50.11% 4,793 49.43% 26 0.27% 0 0.00% 17 0.18% 2 0.02% 66 0.68% 9,697
Crawford 793 60.81% 498 38.19% 10 0.77% 1 0.08% 2 0.15% 0 0.00% 295 22.62% 1,304
Delta 6,854 57.82% 4,647 39.20% 288 2.43% 58 0.49% 2 0.02% 6 0.05% 2,207 18.62% 11,855
Dickinson 6,698 56.86% 4,790 40.66% 207 1.76% 69 0.59% 7 0.06% 9 0.08% 1,908 16.20% 11,780
Eaton 6,751 51.84% 5,975 45.88% 227 1.74% 3 0.02% 50 0.38% 16 0.12% 776 5.96% 13,022
Emmet 2,936 47.30% 3,046 49.07% 199 3.21% 0 0.00% 17 0.27% 9 0.14% -110 -1.77% 6,207
Genesee 39,181 58.91% 26,161 39.33% 932 1.40% 103 0.15% 68 0.10% 64 0.10% 13,020 19.58% 66,509
Gladwin 1,589 51.83% 1,432 46.71% 36 1.17% 3 0.10% 2 0.07% 4 0.13% 157 5.12% 3,066
Gogebic 4,826 44.22% 5,611 51.42% 101 0.93% 351 3.22% 12 0.11% 12 0.11% -785 -7.19% 10,913
Grand Traverse 3,644 49.62% 3,608 49.13% 69 0.94% 7 0.10% 11 0.15% 5 0.07% 36 0.49% 7,344
Gratiot 6,231 55.05% 4,954 43.77% 71 0.63% 5 0.04% 51 0.45% 7 0.06% 1,277 11.28% 11,319
Hillsdale 5,594 49.11% 5,692 49.97% 45 0.40% 20 0.18% 37 0.32% 2 0.02% -98 -0.86% 11,390
Houghton 8,062 39.53% 11,861 58.15% 87 0.43% 338 1.66% 22 0.11% 27 0.13% -3,799 -18.63% 20,397
Huron 5,621 49.07% 5,698 49.74% 107 0.93% 7 0.06% 15 0.13% 7 0.06% -77 -0.67% 11,455
Ingham 22,499 50.95% 21,044 47.65% 495 1.12% 22 0.05% 63 0.14% 38 0.09% 1,455 3.29% 44,161
Ionia 8,379 56.42% 6,267 42.20% 157 1.06% 0 0.00% 38 0.26% 10 0.07% 2,112 14.22% 14,851
Iosco 1,483 46.74% 1,624 51.18% 52 1.64% 6 0.19% 4 0.13% 4 0.13% -141 -4.44% 3,173
Iron 3,602 45.76% 3,948 50.15% 34 0.43% 273 3.47% 6 0.08% 9 0.11% -346 -4.40% 7,872
Isabella 4,272 49.94% 4,199 49.08% 42 0.49% 4 0.05% 34 0.40% 4 0.05% 73 0.85% 8,555
Jackson 17,776 53.14% 15,103 45.15% 353 1.06% 99 0.30% 62 0.19% 60 0.18% 2,673 7.99% 33,453
Kalamazoo 13,458 40.91% 18,712 56.88% 415 1.26% 154 0.47% 117 0.36% 41 0.12% -5,254 -15.97% 32,897
Kalkaska 543 38.84% 755 54.01% 87 6.22% 0 0.00% 11 0.79% 2 0.14% -212 -15.16% 1,398
Kent 44,641 52.94% 38,066 45.14% 1,098 1.30% 266 0.32% 96 0.11% 155 0.18% 6,575 7.80% 84,322
Keweenaw 534 28.34% 1,339 71.07% 1 0.05% 8 0.42% 1 0.05% 1 0.05% -805 -42.73% 1,884
Lake 1,157 51.58% 1,044 46.54% 25 1.11% 17 0.76% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 113 5.04% 2,243
Lapeer 4,344 47.40% 4,722 51.53% 61 0.67% 8 0.09% 24 0.26% 5 0.05% -378 -4.12% 9,164
Leelanau 1,551 48.08% 1,653 51.24% 14 0.43% 3 0.09% 4 0.12% 1 0.03% -102 -3.16% 3,226
Lenawee 10,501 49.82% 10,458 49.61% 78 0.37% 2 0.01% 30 0.14% 10 0.05% 43 0.20% 21,079
Livingston 4,854 52.20% 4,363 46.92% 55 0.59% 1 0.01% 24 0.26% 1 0.01% 491 5.28% 9,298
Luce 836 38.12% 1,317 60.05% 11 0.50% 23 1.05% 4 0.18% 2 0.09% -481 -21.93% 2,193
Mackinac 2,402 59.41% 1,621 40.09% 15 0.37% 1 0.02% 1 0.02% 3 0.07% 781 19.32% 4,043
Macomb 16,731 65.30% 8,417 32.85% 289 1.13% 125 0.49% 31 0.12% 27 0.11% 8,314 32.45% 25,620
Manistee 4,355 54.99% 3,323 41.96% 186 2.35% 26 0.33% 20 0.25% 10 0.13% 1,032 13.03% 7,920
Marquette 7,061 41.69% 9,471 55.92% 133 0.79% 237 1.40% 17 0.10% 18 0.11% -2,410 -14.23% 16,937
Mason 3,691 51.93% 3,209 45.15% 146 2.05% 41 0.58% 15 0.21% 5 0.07% 482 6.78% 7,107
Mecosta 3,057 46.69% 3,398 51.90% 48 0.73% 5 0.08% 15 0.23% 24 0.37% -341 -5.21% 6,547
Menominee 5,637 61.40% 3,407 37.11% 106 1.15% 22 0.24% 5 0.05% 4 0.04% 2,230 24.29% 9,181
Midland 4,088 55.79% 3,171 43.27% 53 0.72% 0 0.00% 10 0.14% 6 0.08% 917 12.51% 7,328
Missaukee 1,188 43.17% 1,526 55.45% 19 0.69% 2 0.07% 15 0.55% 2 0.07% -338 -12.28% 2,752
Monroe 12,117 61.97% 7,257 37.11% 125 0.64% 21 0.11% 23 0.12% 11 0.06% 4,860 24.85% 19,554
Montcalm 5,441 48.82% 5,315 47.69% 333 2.99% 1 0.01% 43 0.39% 13 0.12% 126 1.13% 11,146
Montmorency 965 61.98% 559 35.90% 29 1.86% 2 0.13% 1 0.06% 1 0.06% 406 26.08% 1,557
Muskegon 14,098 54.16% 11,373 43.69% 296 1.14% 209 0.80% 31 0.12% 25 0.10% 2,725 10.47% 26,032
Newaygo 3,357 48.79% 3,389 49.25% 105 1.53% 11 0.16% 15 0.22% 4 0.06% -32 -0.47% 6,881
Oakland 37,583 55.90% 28,359 42.18% 951 1.41% 199 0.30% 72 0.11% 65 0.10% 9,224 13.72% 67,229
Oceana 3,076 56.54% 2,288 42.06% 39 0.72% 7 0.13% 21 0.39% 9 0.17% 788 14.49% 5,440
Ogemaw 1,514 48.81% 1,539 49.61% 35 1.13% 2 0.06% 10 0.32% 2 0.06% -25 -0.81% 3,102
Ontonagon 2,220 45.39% 2,324 47.52% 32 0.65% 300 6.13% 5 0.10% 10 0.20% -104 -2.13% 4,891
Osceola 2,248 42.14% 3,043 57.04% 29 0.54% 5 0.09% 10 0.19% 0 0.00% -795 -14.90% 5,335
Oscoda 262 35.17% 478 64.16% 1 0.13% 0 0.00% 4 0.54% 0 0.00% -216 -28.99% 745
Otsego 1,306 53.88% 1,017 41.96% 98 4.04% 0 0.00% 1 0.04% 2 0.08% 289 11.92% 2,424
Ottawa 8,764 44.80% 10,468 53.51% 285 1.46% 14 0.07% 24 0.12% 6 0.03% -1,704 -8.71% 19,561
Presque Isle 2,369 63.19% 1,325 35.34% 42 1.12% 4 0.11% 4 0.11% 5 0.13% 1,044 27.85% 3,749
Roscommon 812 59.66% 515 37.84% 24 1.76% 4 0.29% 3 0.22% 3 0.22% 297 21.82% 1,361
Saginaw 23,168 56.27% 17,388 42.23% 497 1.21% 43 0.10% 44 0.11% 30 0.07% 5,780 14.04% 41,170
Sanilac 4,116 37.03% 6,861 61.72% 106 0.95% 2 0.02% 29 0.26% 2 0.02% -2,745 -24.69% 11,116
Schoolcraft 1,634 48.26% 1,675 49.47% 65 1.92% 1 0.03% 6 0.18% 5 0.15% -41 -1.21% 3,386
Shiawassee 7,504 53.20% 6,414 45.47% 127 0.90% 4 0.03% 49 0.35% 8 0.06% 1,090 7.73% 14,106
St. Clair 13,363 48.44% 14,012 50.80% 181 0.66% 7 0.03% 19 0.07% 2 0.01% -649 -2.35% 27,584
St. Joseph 6,267 49.75% 6,169 48.98% 116 0.92% 1 0.01% 38 0.30% 5 0.04% 98 0.78% 12,596
Tuscola 4,913 44.46% 6,039 54.65% 71 0.64% 5 0.05% 18 0.16% 5 0.05% -1,126 -10.19% 11,051
Van Buren 6,708 47.11% 7,288 51.18% 205 1.44% 9 0.06% 26 0.18% 4 0.03% -580 -4.07% 14,240
Washtenaw 13,848 48.32% 14,292 49.87% 425 1.48% 58 0.20% 22 0.08% 16 0.06% -444 -1.55% 28,661
Wayne 319,985 61.59% 187,183 36.03% 7,329 1.41% 4,241 0.82% 209 0.04% 601 0.12% 132,802 25.56% 519,548
Wexford 3,037 45.45% 3,575 53.50% 48 0.72% 4 0.06% 15 0.22% 3 0.04% -538 -8.05% 6,682
Total887,67254.92%696,93543.12%20,1081.24%7,9060.49%2,0310.13%1,6100.10%190,73711.80%1,616,262
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

References

  1. 1 2 "Contests Feature Nominating Races in Primary". The Monroe Evening News. Monroe. September 9, 1932. p. 14. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Frank D. (1933). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, September 13, 1932". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1933-1934. pp. 210–212. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Dem. Candidates for Governor Speak at B. Harbor". Berrien County Record. Buchanan. August 25, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Frank D. (1933). "Official Canvass of Votes, Election November 8, 1932". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1933-1934. pp. 246–248. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
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