1938 Michigan gubernatorial election
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November 8, 1938
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 County results Fitzgerald: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Murphy: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1938 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938. In a rematch of the previous election, Republican nominee Frank Fitzgerald this time defeated incumbent Democratic Frank Murphy with 52.78% of the vote. This was the fourth of six consecutive gubernatorial elections in Michigan in which the incumbent party was defeated.
Primary election
Michigan held primary elections on September 13, 1938.
Democratic party
Incumbent governor Frank Murphy was renominated without opposition.
Candidates
- Frank Murphy, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Frank Murphy (inc.) | 336,199 | 99.96% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 151 | 0.04% | |
| Total votes | 336,350 | 100.00% | ||
Republican party
Former governor Frank Fitzgerald was renominated despite having lost the previous election.
Candidates
- Roscoe Conkling Fitch, publisher from Detroit and candidate for Republican nomination in 1936
- Frank Fitzgerald, former governor
- Harry S. Toy, former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank Fitzgerald | 420,188 | 65.45% | |
| Republican | Harry S. Toy | 207,543 | 32.33% | |
| Republican | Roscoe Conkling Fitch | 14,253 | 2.22% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 24 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 642,008 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- Frank Fitzgerald, Republican
- Frank Murphy, Democratic
Other candidates
- Nahum Burnett, Socialist
- Clayton O'Donohue, Socialist Labor
- Juliet K. Hammond, American
- Vahan K. Beshgetoor, Commonwealth
- Howard L. Holmes, Square Deal
- Bowen R. Gover, Protestants United
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank Fitzgerald | 847,245 | 52.78% | +4.55% | |
| Democratic | Frank Murphy (inc.) | 753,752 | 46.96% | −4.07% | |
| Socialist | Nahum Burnett | 2,896 | 0.18% | −0.20% | |
| Socialist Labor | Clayton O'Donohue | 446 | 0.03% | +0.00% | |
| American | Juliet K. Hammond | 257 | 0.02% | ||
| Commonwealth | Vahan K. Beshgetoor | 242 | 0.02% | −0.01% | |
| Square Deal | Howard L. Holmes | 205 | 0.01% | ||
| Protestants United | Bowen R. Gover | 177 | 0.01% | ||
| Scattering | 21 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 93,493 | 5.82% | |||
| Total votes | 1,605,241 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +8.62% | |||
Results by county
Keweenaw County voted Democratic for the first time since 1870. Additionally, Fitzgerald was the first Republican to be elected governor without carrying Houghton County and Marquette County since John J. Bagley in 1874.
| County[2] | Frank Fitzgerald Republican |
Frank Murphy Democratic |
Nahum Burnett Socialist |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 1,396 | 66.32% | 702 | 33.35% | 6 | 0.29% | 1 | 0.05% | 694 | 32.97% | 2,105 |
| Alger | 1,477 | 35.87% | 2,632 | 63.91% | 7 | 0.17% | 2 | 0.05% | -1,155 | -28.05% | 4,118 |
| Allegan | 8,928 | 71.58% | 3,488 | 27.96% | 52 | 0.42% | 5 | 0.04% | 5,440 | 43.61% | 12,473 |
| Alpena | 3,609 | 63.08% | 2,103 | 36.76% | 7 | 0.12% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,506 | 26.32% | 5,721 |
| Antrim | 2,411 | 67.80% | 1,132 | 31.83% | 8 | 0.22% | 5 | 0.14% | 1,279 | 35.97% | 3,556 |
| Arenac | 1,992 | 58.03% | 1,432 | 41.71% | 6 | 0.17% | 3 | 0.09% | 560 | 16.31% | 3,433 |
| Baraga | 1,989 | 46.77% | 2,262 | 53.19% | 2 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | -273 | -6.42% | 4,253 |
| Barry | 5,372 | 70.55% | 2,229 | 29.28% | 7 | 0.09% | 6 | 0.08% | 3,143 | 41.28% | 7,614 |
| Bay | 11,466 | 49.50% | 11,657 | 50.33% | 31 | 0.13% | 8 | 0.03% | -191 | -0.82% | 23,162 |
| Benzie | 1,978 | 62.61% | 1,172 | 37.10% | 8 | 0.25% | 1 | 0.03% | 806 | 25.51% | 3,159 |
| Berrien | 18,003 | 59.21% | 12,360 | 40.65% | 29 | 0.10% | 15 | 0.05% | 5,643 | 18.56% | 30,407 |
| Branch | 6,570 | 68.45% | 3,002 | 31.28% | 18 | 0.19% | 8 | 0.08% | 3,568 | 37.17% | 9,598 |
| Calhoun | 16,640 | 57.27% | 12,305 | 42.35% | 75 | 0.26% | 37 | 0.13% | 4,335 | 14.92% | 29,057 |
| Cass | 5,817 | 62.50% | 3,475 | 37.34% | 5 | 0.05% | 10 | 0.11% | 2,342 | 25.16% | 9,307 |
| Charlevoix | 2,957 | 63.82% | 1,666 | 35.96% | 6 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.09% | 1,291 | 27.87% | 4,633 |
| Cheboygan | 3,221 | 57.67% | 2,359 | 42.24% | 3 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.04% | 862 | 15.43% | 5,585 |
| Chippewa | 5,395 | 53.67% | 4,638 | 46.14% | 8 | 0.08% | 11 | 0.11% | 757 | 7.53% | 10,052 |
| Clare | 2,550 | 71.55% | 1,005 | 28.20% | 4 | 0.11% | 5 | 0.14% | 1,545 | 43.35% | 3,564 |
| Clinton | 6,175 | 71.49% | 2,452 | 28.39% | 8 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.03% | 3,723 | 43.10% | 8,638 |
| Crawford | 819 | 57.64% | 601 | 42.29% | 1 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 218 | 15.34% | 1,421 |
| Delta | 5,483 | 42.01% | 7,548 | 57.83% | 16 | 0.12% | 6 | 0.05% | -2,065 | -15.82% | 13,053 |
| Dickinson | 5,666 | 46.88% | 6,388 | 52.85% | 16 | 0.13% | 17 | 0.14% | -722 | -5.97% | 12,087 |
| Eaton | 8,607 | 66.71% | 4,242 | 32.88% | 42 | 0.33% | 12 | 0.09% | 4,365 | 33.83% | 12,903 |
| Emmet | 3,495 | 63.35% | 2,007 | 36.38% | 9 | 0.16% | 6 | 0.11% | 1,488 | 26.97% | 5,517 |
| Genesee | 36,115 | 50.47% | 35,301 | 49.34% | 113 | 0.16% | 22 | 0.03% | 814 | 1.14% | 71,551 |
| Gladwin | 2,159 | 68.69% | 983 | 31.28% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,176 | 37.42% | 3,143 |
| Gogebic | 6,239 | 44.15% | 7,853 | 55.58% | 25 | 0.18% | 13 | 0.09% | -1,614 | -11.42% | 14,130 |
| Grand Traverse | 4,490 | 64.01% | 2,515 | 35.86% | 8 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,975 | 28.16% | 7,014 |
| Gratiot | 6,434 | 70.00% | 27,15 | 29.54% | 6 | 0.07% | 36 | 0.39% | 3,719 | 40.46% | 9,191 |
| Hillsdale | 7,483 | 73.80% | 2,623 | 25.87% | 24 | 0.24% | 9 | 0.09% | 4,860 | 47.93% | 10,139 |
| Houghton | 8,927 | 46.24% | 10,363 | 53.68% | 9 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.03% | -1,436 | -7.44% | 19,305 |
| Huron | 7,676 | 68.01% | 3,569 | 31.62% | 22 | 0.19% | 20 | 0.18% | 4,107 | 36.39% | 11,287 |
| Ingham | 24,332 | 55.93% | 18,986 | 43.64% | 148 | 0.34% | 39 | 0.09% | 5,346 | 12.29% | 43,505 |
| Ionia | 7,911 | 62.62% | 4,704 | 37.24% | 9 | 0.07% | 9 | 0.07% | 3,207 | 25.39% | 12,633 |
| Iosco | 2,119 | 63.92% | 1,189 | 35.87% | 4 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.09% | 930 | 28.05% | 3,315 |
| Iron | 4,529 | 50.42% | 4,440 | 49.43% | 9 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.04% | 89 | 0.99% | 8,982 |
| Isabella | 4,808 | 68.95% | 2,141 | 30.70% | 12 | 0.17% | 12 | 0.17% | 2,667 | 38.25% | 6,973 |
| Jackson | 19,005 | 60.05% | 12,547 | 39.64% | 66 | 0.21% | 33 | 0.10% | 6,458 | 20.40% | 31,651 |
| Kalamazoo | 18,816 | 65.13% | 10,009 | 34.65% | 21 | 0.07% | 44 | 0.15% | 8,807 | 30.48% | 28,890 |
| Kalkaska | 921 | 58.25% | 651 | 41.18% | 7 | 0.44% | 2 | 0.13% | 270 | 17.08% | 1,581 |
| Kent | 36,430 | 52.25% | 32,964 | 47.28% | 225 | 0.32% | 108 | 0.15% | 3,466 | 4.97% | 69,727 |
| Keweenaw | 927 | 45.85% | 1,093 | 54.06% | 1 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.05% | -166 | -8.21% | 2,022 |
| Lake | 1,266 | 57.49% | 929 | 42.19% | 6 | 0.27% | 1 | 0.05% | 337 | 15.30% | 2,202 |
| Lapeer | 7,051 | 76.58% | 2,140 | 23.24% | 10 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.07% | 4,911 | 53.34% | 9,207 |
| Leelanau | 2,055 | 67.84% | 968 | 31.96% | 3 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.10% | 1,087 | 35.89% | 3,029 |
| Lenawee | 13,611 | 74.81% | 4,541 | 24.96% | 28 | 0.15% | 15 | 0.08% | 9,070 | 49.85% | 18,195 |
| Livingston | 6,791 | 71.95% | 2,614 | 27.70% | 28 | 0.30% | 5 | 0.05% | 4,177 | 44.26% | 9,438 |
| Luce | 1,416 | 60.28% | 931 | 39.63% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.09% | 485 | 20.65% | 2,349 |
| Mackinac | 2,153 | 51.63% | 2,009 | 48.18% | 2 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.14% | 144 | 3.45% | 4,170 |
| Macomb | 15,669 | 51.73% | 14,554 | 48.05% | 46 | 0.15% | 23 | 0.08% | 1,115 | 3.68% | 30,292 |
| Manistee | 4,082 | 55.23% | 3,291 | 44.53% | 14 | 0.19% | 4 | 0.05% | 791 | 10.70% | 7,391 |
| Marquette | 8,444 | 44.21% | 10,626 | 55.63% | 23 | 0.12% | 7 | 0.04% | -2,182 | -11.42% | 19,100 |
| Mason | 3,751 | 54.44% | 3,116 | 45.22% | 15 | 0.22% | 8 | 0.12% | 635 | 9.22% | 6,890 |
| Mecosta | 3,358 | 64.88% | 1,806 | 34.89% | 4 | 0.08% | 8 | 0.15% | 1,552 | 29.98% | 5,176 |
| Menominee | 4,492 | 49.15% | 4,632 | 50.68% | 10 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.07% | -140 | -1.53% | 9,140 |
| Midland | 5,004 | 67.00% | 2,441 | 32.68% | 18 | 0.24% | 6 | 0.08% | 2,563 | 34.32% | 7,469 |
| Missaukee | 2,013 | 66.74% | 998 | 33.09% | 4 | 0.13% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,015 | 33.65% | 3,016 |
| Monroe | 12,088 | 61.69% | 7,475 | 38.15% | 13 | 0.07% | 20 | 0.10% | 4,613 | 23.54% | 19,596 |
| Montcalm | 5,730 | 66.86% | 2,802 | 32.70% | 31 | 0.36% | 7 | 0.08% | 2,928 | 34.17% | 8,570 |
| Montmorency | 1,187 | 61.47% | 730 | 37.80% | 8 | 0.41% | 6 | 0.31% | 457 | 23.67% | 1,931 |
| Muskegon | 10,634 | 46.01% | 12,392 | 53.62% | 56 | 0.24% | 30 | 0.13% | -1,758 | -7.61% | 23,112 |
| Newaygo | 4,002 | 67.04% | 1,951 | 32.68% | 13 | 0.22% | 4 | 0.07% | 2,051 | 34.36% | 5,970 |
| Oakland | 37,975 | 56.89% | 28,578 | 42.81% | 156 | 0.23% | 46 | 0.07% | 9,397 | 14.08% | 66,755 |
| Oceana | 2,955 | 63.74% | 1,664 | 35.89% | 11 | 0.24% | 6 | 0.13% | 1,291 | 27.85% | 4,636 |
| Ogemaw | 2,162 | 63.76% | 1,223 | 36.07% | 2 | 0.06% | 4 | 0.12% | 939 | 27.69% | 3,391 |
| Ontonagon | 2,723 | 47.52% | 2,999 | 52.34% | 8 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -276 | -4.82% | 5,730 |
| Osceola | 3,213 | 72.59% | 1,200 | 27.11% | 6 | 0.14% | 7 | 0.16% | 2,013 | 45.48% | 4,426 |
| Oscoda | 607 | 64.78% | 329 | 35.11% | 1 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 278 | 29.67% | 937 |
| Otsego | 1,340 | 58.49% | 943 | 41.16% | 5 | 0.22% | 3 | 0.13% | 397 | 17.33% | 2,291 |
| Ottawa | 10,849 | 62.00% | 6,608 | 37.76% | 35 | 0.20% | 6 | 0.03% | 4,241 | 24.24% | 17,498 |
| Presque Isle | 2,208 | 47.88% | 2,397 | 51.97% | 4 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.07% | -189 | -4.10% | 4,612 |
| Roscommon | 1,328 | 72.73% | 494 | 27.05% | 4 | 0.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 834 | 45.67% | 1,826 |
| Saginaw | 21,662 | 54.76% | 17,769 | 44.92% | 89 | 0.23% | 35 | 0.09% | 3,893 | 9.84% | 39,555 |
| Sanilac | 8,454 | 81.45% | 1,909 | 18.39% | 13 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.04% | 6,545 | 63.05% | 10,380 |
| Schoolcraft | 1,923 | 50.58% | 1,872 | 49.24% | 5 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.05% | 51 | 1.34% | 3,802 |
| Shiawassee | 8,782 | 67.81% | 4,110 | 31.74% | 45 | 0.35% | 14 | 0.11% | 4,672 | 36.07% | 12,951 |
| St. Clair | 15,371 | 65.89% | 7,921 | 33.95% | 24 | 0.10% | 12 | 0.05% | 7,450 | 31.94% | 23,328 |
| St. Joseph | 7,883 | 71.01% | 3,187 | 28.71% | 25 | 0.23% | 7 | 0.06% | 4,696 | 42.30% | 11,102 |
| Tuscola | 8,422 | 78.78% | 2,250 | 21.05% | 12 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.06% | 6,172 | 57.74% | 10,690 |
| Van Buren | 9,318 | 67.67% | 4,417 | 32.08% | 30 | 0.22% | 5 | 0.04% | 4,901 | 35.59% | 13,770 |
| Washtenaw | 16,660 | 69.40% | 7,296 | 30.39% | 37 | 0.15% | 13 | 0.05% | 9,364 | 39.01% | 24,006 |
| Wayne | 233,885 | 41.67% | 325,982 | 58.08% | 954 | 0.17% | 470 | 0.08% | -92,097 | -16.41% | 561,291 |
| Wexford | 3,391 | 60.92% | 2,155 | 38.72% | 14 | 0.25% | 6 | 0.11% | 1,236 | 22.21% | 5,566 |
| Total | 847,245 | 52.78% | 753,752 | 46.96% | 2,896 | 0.18% | 1,348 | 0.08% | 93,493 | 5.82% | 1,605,241 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
References
- 1 2 Kelly, Harry F. (1939). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, September 13, 1938". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1939-1940. pp. 193–196. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Kelly, Harry F. (1939). "Official Canvass of Votes, Election November 8, 1938". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1939-1940. pp. 235–237. Retrieved June 9, 2026.