1940 Michigan gubernatorial election
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November 5, 1940
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 County results Van Wagoner: 50–60% 60–70% Dickinson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1940 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Democratic nominee Murray Van Wagoner defeated incumbent Republican Luren Dickinson with 53.06% of the vote. This was the fifth of six consecutive gubernatorial elections in Michigan in which the incumbent party was defeated.
Primary election
Michigan held primary elections on September 10, 1940.
Republican party
Luren Dickinson became governor in 1939 upon the death of Frank Fitzgerald. Dickinson secured the nomination for a full term against divided opposition.
Candidates
- Ernest T. Conlon, former member of Michigan Senate[1]
- Luren Dickinson, incumbent governor
- Miller Dunckel, Michigan State Treasurer
- Melville B. McPherson, member of Michigan State Board of Agriculture[2]
- Thomas Read, Michigan Attorney General
- Charles Renaud
- O. L. Smith, lawyer and former prosecutor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Luren Dickinson (inc.) | 241,717 | 43.68% | |
| Republican | Thomas Read | 108,113 | 19.53% | |
| Republican | O. L. Smith | 92,236 | 16.67% | |
| Republican | Miller Dunckel | 62,874 | 11.36% | |
| Republican | Melville B. McPherson | 28,332 | 5.12% | |
| Republican | Ernest T. Conlon | 12,909 | 2.33% | |
| Republican | Charles Renaud | 7,226 | 1.31% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 31 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 553,438 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic party
State Highway commissioner Murray Van Wagoner easily won the Democratic nomination.
Candidates
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Murray Van Wagoner | 281,023 | 79.30% | |
| Democratic | Eugene Van Antwerp | 73,340 | 20.70% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 12 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 354,375 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- Murray Van Wagoner, Democratic
- Luren Dickinson, Republican
Other candidates
- Seth Whitmore, Socialist
- Philip Raymond, Communist
- Ralph Naylor, Socialist Labor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Murray Van Wagoner | 1,077,065 | 53.06% | +6.10% | |
| Republican | Luren Dickinson (inc.) | 945,784 | 46.59% | −6.19% | |
| Socialist | Seth Whitmore | 4,124 | 0.20% | +0.02% | |
| Communist | Philip Raymond | 2,387 | 0.12% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Ralph Naylor | 702 | 0.04% | +0.01% | |
| Scattering | 7 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 131,281 | 6.47% | |||
| Total votes | 2,030,069 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | +12.29% | |||
Results by county
After this election, Crawford County and Oakland County would not vote Democratic again until 1986.
| County[4] | Murray Van Wagoner Democratic |
Luren Dickinson Republican |
Seth Whitmore Socialist |
Philip Raymond Communist |
Ralph Naylor Socialist Labor |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 908 | 37.03% | 1,541 | 62.85% | 3 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -633 | -25.82% | 2,452 |
| Alger | 3,044 | 66.55% | 1,487 | 32.51% | 3 | 0.07% | 38 | 0.83% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,557 | 34.04% | 4,574 |
| Allegan | 5,880 | 33.74% | 11,527 | 66.15% | 15 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.01% | -5,647 | -32.41% | 17,426 |
| Alpena | 3,858 | 46.42% | 4,448 | 53.32% | 4 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | -590 | -7.10% | 8,311 |
| Antrim | 1,616 | 36.51% | 2,805 | 63.38% | 4 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,189 | -26.86% | 4,426 |
| Arenac | 1,503 | 40.07% | 2,238 | 59.66% | 5 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.08% | -735 | -19.59% | 3,751 |
| Baraga | 2,209 | 47.84% | 2,386 | 51.68% | 5 | 0.11% | 17 | 0.37% | 0 | 0.00% | -177 | -3.83% | 4,617 |
| Barry | 3,484 | 35.38% | 6,350 | 64.48% | 11 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.01% | 2 | 0.02% | -2,866 | -29.10% | 9,848 |
| Bay | 14,561 | 50.65% | 14,156 | 49.24% | 24 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.01% | 7 | 0.02% | 405 | 1.41% | 28,750 |
| Benzie | 1,583 | 43.42% | 2,050 | 56.23% | 11 | 0.30% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | -467 | -12.81% | 3,646 |
| Berrien | 18,125 | 47.34% | 20,075 | 52.44% | 61 | 0.16% | 4 | 0.01% | 18 | 0.05% | -1,950 | -5.09% | 38,283 |
| Branch | 4,475 | 39.19% | 6,931 | 60.69% | 10 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,456 | -21.51% | 11,420 |
| Calhoun | 19,941 | 49.75% | 19,967 | 49.81% | 129 | 0.32% | 34 | 0.08% | 13 | 0.03% | -26 | -0.06% | 40,084 |
| Cass | 4,491 | 41.31% | 6,364 | 58.54% | 12 | 0.11% | 4 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,873 | -17.23% | 10,871 |
| Charlevoix | 2,356 | 42.05% | 3,223 | 57.52% | 23 | 0.41% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.02% | -867 | -15.47% | 5,603 |
| Cheboygan | 3,309 | 51.19% | 3,144 | 48.64% | 5 | 0.08% | 5 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.02% | 165 | 2.55% | 6,464 |
| Chippewa | 5,522 | 50.06% | 5,492 | 49.79% | 6 | 0.05% | 10 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.01% | 30 | 0.27% | 11,031 |
| Clare | 1,364 | 32.26% | 2,855 | 67.53% | 6 | 0.14% | 3 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,491 | -35.26% | 4,228 |
| Clinton | 3,268 | 29.84% | 7,672 | 70.06% | 9 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.01% | -4,404 | -40.22% | 10,950 |
| Crawford | 825 | 50.43% | 807 | 49.33% | 4 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 18 | 1.10% | 1,636 |
| Delta | 8,971 | 60.23% | 5,862 | 39.36% | 30 | 0.20% | 29 | 0.19% | 2 | 0.01% | 3,109 | 20.87% | 14,894 |
| Dickinson | 7,443 | 55.33% | 5,963 | 44.33% | 23 | 0.17% | 21 | 0.16% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,480 | 11.00% | 13,451 |
| Eaton | 6,009 | 38.74% | 9,460 | 60.99% | 40 | 0.26% | 3 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | -3,451 | -22.25% | 15,512 |
| Emmet | 3,176 | 45.84% | 3,744 | 54.03% | 8 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.01% | -568 | -8.20% | 6,929 |
| Genesee | 49,748 | 57.05% | 37,175 | 42.63% | 173 | 0.20% | 89 | 0.10% | 12 | 0.01% | 12,573 | 14.42% | 87,197 |
| Gladwin | 1,399 | 35.06% | 2,587 | 64.84% | 3 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.03% | -1,188 | -29.77% | 3,990 |
| Gogebic | 9,052 | 58.55% | 6,261 | 40.50% | 52 | 0.34% | 89 | 0.58% | 7 | 0.05% | 2,791 | 18.05% | 15,461 |
| Grand Traverse | 3,607 | 41.82% | 5,012 | 58.11% | 5 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,405 | -16.29% | 8,625[a] |
| Gratiot | 4,222 | 34.12% | 8,131 | 65.72% | 18 | 0.15% | 2 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | -3,909 | -31.59% | 12,373 |
| Hillsdale | 3,967 | 31.16% | 8,745 | 68.70% | 12 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.02% | 4 | 0.03% | -4,778 | -37.53% | 12,730 |
| Houghton | 11,807 | 54.94% | 9,617 | 44.75% | 12 | 0.06% | 49 | 0.23% | 5 | 0.02% | 2,190 | 10.19% | 21,490 |
| Huron | 3,575 | 27.54% | 9,393 | 72.35% | 13 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.02% | -5,818 | -44.81% | 12,983 |
| Ingham | 25,003 | 43.92% | 31,653 | 55.60% | 230 | 0.40% | 16 | 0.03% | 26 | 0.05% | -6,650 | -11.68% | 56,928 |
| Ionia | 5,814 | 39.79% | 8,772 | 60.04% | 24 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,958 | -20.25% | 14,611 |
| Iosco | 1,484 | 39.92% | 2,228 | 59.94% | 4 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | -744 | -20.02% | 3,717 |
| Iron | 4,801 | 51.43% | 4,483 | 48.02% | 14 | 0.15% | 37 | 0.40% | 0 | 0.00% | 318 | 3.41% | 9,335 |
| Isabella | 3,312 | 34.45% | 6,289 | 65.41% | 6 | 0.06% | 5 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.02% | -2,977 | -30.96% | 9,615[a] |
| Jackson | 16,582 | 43.16% | 21,748 | 56.61% | 54 | 0.14% | 27 | 0.07% | 9 | 0.02% | -5,166 | -13.45% | 38,420 |
| Kalamazoo | 18,897 | 44.20% | 23,773 | 55.60% | 55 | 0.13% | 16 | 0.04% | 15 | 0.04% | -4,876 | -11.40% | 42,758[b] |
| Kalkaska | 847 | 45.78% | 1,000 | 54.05% | 3 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -153 | -8.27% | 1,850 |
| Kent | 49,019 | 48.95% | 50,657 | 50.59% | 367 | 0.37% | 64 | 0.06% | 25 | 0.02% | -1,638 | -1.64% | 100,132 |
| Keweenaw | 1,069 | 53.10% | 936 | 46.50% | 1 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.30% | 1 | 0.05% | 133 | 6.61% | 2,013 |
| Lake | 1,086 | 45.25% | 1,311 | 54.63% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.04% | -225 | -9.38% | 2,400 |
| Lapeer | 3,717 | 34.34% | 7,096 | 65.55% | 10 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.02% | -3,379 | -31.21% | 10,825 |
| Leelanau | 1,317 | 37.31% | 2,210 | 62.61% | 3 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -893 | -25.30% | 3,530 |
| Lenawee | 8,934 | 37.81% | 14,657 | 62.03% | 28 | 0.12% | 5 | 0.02% | 5 | 0.02% | -5,723 | -24.22% | 23,629 |
| Livingston | 3,829 | 37.29% | 6,427 | 62.59% | 12 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,598 | -25.30% | 10,269 |
| Luce | 1,156 | 45.00% | 1,407 | 54.77% | 2 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | -251 | -9.77% | 2,569[a] |
| Mackinac | 2,167 | 47.22% | 2,413 | 52.58% | 8 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.02% | -246 | -5.36% | 4,589 |
| Macomb | 22,251 | 58.61% | 15,598 | 41.09% | 64 | 0.17% | 36 | 0.09% | 13 | 0.03% | 6,653 | 17.53% | 37,962 |
| Manistee | 4,432 | 50.43% | 4,342 | 49.40% | 13 | 0.15% | 1 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 90 | 1.02% | 8,789 |
| Marquette | 12,788 | 60.02% | 8,472 | 39.76% | 17 | 0.08% | 24 | 0.11% | 5 | 0.02% | 4,316 | 20.26% | 21,306 |
| Mason | 4,097 | 47.87% | 4,434 | 51.81% | 17 | 0.20% | 8 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.02% | -337 | -3.94% | 8,558 |
| Mecosta | 2,301 | 34.07% | 4,444 | 65.81% | 7 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,143 | -31.73% | 6,753 |
| Menominee | 6,319 | 57.56% | 4,624 | 42.12% | 28 | 0.26% | 7 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,695 | 15.44% | 10,978 |
| Midland | 3,983 | 40.14% | 5,923 | 59.69% | 15 | 0.15% | 2 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,940 | -19.55% | 9,923 |
| Missaukee | 1,032 | 32.35% | 2,154 | 67.52% | 4 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,122 | -35.17% | 3,190 |
| Monroe | 11,892 | 51.59% | 11,136 | 48.31% | 16 | 0.07% | 6 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.00% | 756 | 3.28% | 23,051 |
| Montcalm | 4,366 | 37.59% | 7,216 | 62.12% | 33 | 0.28% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,850 | -24.54% | 11,616 |
| Montmorency | 852 | 44.31% | 1,067 | 55.49% | 2 | 0.10% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.05% | -215 | -11.18% | 1,923[a] |
| Muskegon | 20,041 | 59.00% | 13,821 | 40.69% | 81 | 0.24% | 24 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.01% | 6,220 | 18.31% | 33,970 |
| Newaygo | 2,808 | 35.03% | 5,190 | 64.75% | 10 | 0.12% | 7 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,382 | -29.72% | 8,016 |
| Oakland | 51,980 | 54.61% | 42,884 | 45.05% | 210 | 0.22% | 60 | 0.06% | 56 | 0.06% | 9,096 | 9.56% | 95,190 |
| Oceana | 2,753 | 45.78% | 3,246 | 53.98% | 10 | 0.17% | 2 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.03% | -493 | -8.20% | 6,013 |
| Ogemaw | 1,365 | 37.45% | 2,275 | 62.41% | 5 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -910 | -24.97% | 3,645 |
| Ontonagon | 3,089 | 51.76% | 2,789 | 46.73% | 6 | 0.10% | 83 | 1.39% | 1 | 0.02% | 300 | 5.03% | 5,968 |
| Osceola | 1,731 | 30.24% | 3,989 | 69.69% | 4 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,258 | -39.45% | 5,724 |
| Oscoda | 467 | 44.06% | 591 | 55.75% | 2 | 0.19% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -124 | -11.70% | 1,060 |
| Otsego | 1,107 | 46.26% | 1,280 | 53.49% | 4 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.08% | -173 | -7.23% | 2,393 |
| Ottawa | 8,779 | 36.60% | 15,150 | 63.17% | 33 | 0.14% | 9 | 0.04% | 13 | 0.05% | -6,371 | -26.56% | 23,984 |
| Presque Isle | 2,720 | 53.47% | 2,360 | 46.39% | 6 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.02% | 360 | 7.08% | 5,087 |
| Roscommon | 803 | 39.00% | 1,245 | 60.47% | 11 | 0.53% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -442 | -21.47% | 2,059 |
| Saginaw | 24,171 | 48.89% | 25,119 | 50.81% | 110 | 0.22% | 20 | 0.04% | 15 | 0.03% | -948 | -1.92% | 49,435 |
| Sanilac | 2,702 | 22.04% | 9,540 | 77.83% | 13 | 0.11% | 2 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.01% | -6,838 | -55.78% | 12,258 |
| Schoolcraft | 2,276 | 53.91% | 1,936 | 45.86% | 9 | 0.21% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 340 | 8.05% | 4,222 |
| Shiawassee | 5,884 | 38.19% | 9,488 | 61.59% | 25 | 0.16% | 4 | 0.03% | 4 | 0.03% | -3,604 | -23.39% | 15,406[a] |
| St. Clair | 12,777 | 41.38% | 18,068 | 58.51% | 29 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.00% | 5 | 0.02% | -5,291 | -17.13% | 30,880 |
| St. Joseph | 5,249 | 35.74% | 9,420 | 64.15% | 13 | 0.09% | 2 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | -4,171 | -28.40% | 14,685 |
| Tuscola | 3,787 | 28.57% | 9,444 | 71.24% | 22 | 0.17% | 1 | 0.01% | 2 | 0.02% | -5,657 | -42.68% | 13,256 |
| Van Buren | 6,037 | 36.10% | 10,647 | 63.67% | 24 | 0.14% | 11 | 0.07% | 4 | 0.02% | -4,610 | -27.57% | 16,723 |
| Washtenaw | 15,345 | 45.88% | 18,000 | 53.82% | 82 | 0.25% | 12 | 0.04% | 8 | 0.02% | -2,655 | -7.94% | 33,447 |
| Wayne | 459,320 | 65.21% | 241,535 | 34.29% | 1,630 | 0.23% | 1,467 | 0.21% | 383 | 0.05% | 217,785 | 30.92% | 704,335 |
| Wexford | 3,229 | 45.68% | 3,829 | 54.17% | 9 | 0.13% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | -600 | -8.49% | 7,068 |
| Total | 1,077,065 | 53.06% | 945,784 | 46.59% | 4,124 | 0.20% | 2,387 | 0.12% | 702 | 0.03% | 131,281 | 6.47% | 2,030,069 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Notes
References
- ↑ "Legislator Details". Library of Michigan. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Gubernatorial Candidate". Lowell Area Historical Museum. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Kelly, Harry F. (1941). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, September 10, 1940". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1941-1942. pp. 225–229. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Kelly, Harry F. (1941). "Official Canvass of Votes, Election November 5, 1940". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1941-1942. pp. 275–277. Retrieved June 9, 2026.