1950 Michigan gubernatorial election
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November 7, 1950
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 County results Williams: 50–60% 60–70% Kelly: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1950 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1950. Incumbent Democrat G. Mennen Williams defeated Republican nominee Harry Kelly with 49.76% of the vote. With a margin of only 0.06%, this is the closest gubernatorial election in Michigan's history.
Primary election
Michigan held primary elections on September 12, 1950.
Democratic party
Incumbent governor G. Mennen Williams was renominated without opposition.
Candidates
- G. Mennen Williams, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (inc.) | 338,302 | 99.99% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 13 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 338,315 | 100.00% | ||
Republican party
Former governor Harry F. Kelly won the Republican nomination over secretary of state Frederick M. Alger Jr. and former lieutenant governor Eugene C. Keyes.
Candidates
- Frederick M. Alger Jr., Michigan Secretary of State
- Albert J. Engel, representative from Michigan's 9th congressional district
- Harry F. Kelly, former governor
- Eugene C. Keyes, former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
- Thomas S. Leith, mayor of Brighton
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Harry F. Kelly | 205,889 | 36.88% | |
| Republican | Frederick M. Alger Jr. | 161,827 | 28.98% | |
| Republican | Eugene C. Keyes | 114,711 | 20.55% | |
| Republican | Albert J. Engel | 67,415 | 12.07% | |
| Republican | Thomas S. Leith | 8,460 | 1.52% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 19 | 0.00 | |
| Total votes | 558,321 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- G. Mennen Williams, Democratic
- Harry Kelly, Republican
Other candidates
- Perry Hayden, Prohibition
- Theos A. Grove, Socialist Labor
- Howard Lerner, Socialist Workers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (inc.) | 935,152 | 49.76% | −3.65% | |
| Republican | Harry F. Kelly | 933,998 | 49.70% | +4.04% | |
| Prohibition | Perry Hayden | 8,511 | 0.45% | −0.27% | |
| Socialist Labor | Theos A. Grove | 1,077 | 0.06% | −0.01% | |
| Socialist Workers | Howard Lerner | 636 | 0.03% | −0.01% | |
| Scattering | 8 | 0.00% | |||
| Plurality | 1,154 | 0.06% | |||
| Total votes | 1,879,382 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | -7.69% | |||
Results by county
| County[2] | G. Mennen Williams Democratic |
Harry F. Kelly Republican |
Perry Hayden Prohibition |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 635 | 31.47% | 1,359 | 67.34% | 22 | 1.09% | 2 | 0.10% | -724 | -35.88% | 2,018 |
| Alger | 2,029 | 57.35% | 1,500 | 42.40% | 9 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 529 | 14.95% | 3,538 |
| Allegan | 4,119 | 29.43% | 9,740 | 69.58% | 131 | 0.94% | 8 | 0.06% | -5,621 | -40.16% | 13,998 |
| Alpena | 2,617 | 36.53% | 4,520 | 63.09% | 25 | 0.35% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,903 | -26.56% | 7,164 |
| Antrim | 995 | 28.96% | 2,405 | 69.99% | 36 | 1.05% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,410 | -41.04% | 3,436 |
| Arenac | 1,150 | 36.81% | 1,960 | 62.74% | 12 | 0.38% | 2 | 0.06% | -810 | -25.93% | 3,124 |
| Baraga | 2,030 | 55.39% | 1,633 | 44.56% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | 397 | 10.83% | 3,665 |
| Barry | 2,827 | 33.85% | 5,355 | 64.12% | 165 | 1.98% | 5 | 0.06% | -2,528 | -30.27% | 8,352 |
| Bay | 11,717 | 46.70% | 13,306 | 53.03% | 62 | 0.25% | 6 | 0.02% | 1,589 | 6.33% | 25,091 |
| Benzie | 958 | 32.91% | 1,884 | 64.72% | 67 | 2.30% | 2 | 0.07% | -926 | -31.81% | 2,911 |
| Berrien | 12,315 | 38.74% | 19,374 | 60.94% | 91 | 0.29% | 10 | 0.03% | -7,059 | -22.21% | 31,790 |
| Branch | 3,334 | 38.06% | 5,306 | 60.57% | 118 | 1.35% | 2 | 0.02% | -1,972 | -22.51% | 8,760 |
| Calhoun | 13,889 | 46.00% | 16,071 | 53.22% | 218 | 0.72% | 17 | 0.06% | -2,182 | -7.23% | 30,195 |
| Cass | 3,230 | 36.84% | 5,487 | 62.58% | 45 | 0.51% | 6 | 0.07% | -2,257 | -25.74% | 8,768 |
| Charlevoix | 1,863 | 40.01% | 2,765 | 59.39% | 28 | 0.60% | 0 | 0.00% | -902 | -19.37% | 4,656 |
| Cheboygan | 1,985 | 38.22% | 3,188 | 61.38% | 20 | 0.39% | 1 | 0.02% | -1,203 | -23.16% | 5,194 |
| Chippewa | 4,498 | 47.82% | 4,869 | 51.76% | 33 | 0.35% | 6 | 0.06% | -371 | -3.94% | 9,406 |
| Clare | 1,073 | 32.84% | 2,164 | 66.24% | 30 | 0.92% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,091 | -33.39% | 3,267 |
| Clinton | 2,531 | 28.11% | 6,418 | 71.29% | 53 | 0.59% | 1 | 0.01% | -3,887 | -43.17% | 9,003 |
| Crawford | 583 | 40.97% | 838 | 58.89% | 2 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -255 | -17.92% | 1,423 |
| Delta | 6,563 | 54.99% | 5,349 | 44.82% | 21 | 0.18% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,214 | 10.17% | 11,935 |
| Dickinson | 6,359 | 59.42% | 4,314 | 40.31% | 23 | 0.21% | 6 | 0.06% | 2,045 | 19.11% | 10,702 |
| Eaton | 4,764 | 38.10% | 7,574 | 60.58% | 165 | 1.32% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,810 | -22.47% | 12,503 |
| Emmet | 2,486 | 39.60% | 3,748 | 59.70% | 42 | 0.67% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,262 | -20.10% | 6,278 |
| Genesee | 40,432 | 53.39% | 34,963 | 46.16% | 285 | 0.38% | 55 | 0.07% | 5,469 | 7.22% | 75,735 |
| Gladwin | 868 | 30.93% | 1,906 | 67.93% | 31 | 1.10% | 1 | 0.04% | -1,038 | -36.99% | 2,806 |
| Gogebic | 6,622 | 56.24% | 5,125 | 43.52% | 17 | 0.14% | 11 | 0.09% | 1,497 | 12.71% | 11,775 |
| Grand Traverse | 2,597 | 32.77% | 5,295 | 66.82% | 27 | 0.34% | 5 | 0.06% | -2,698 | -34.05% | 7,924 |
| Gratiot | 2,770 | 30.82% | 6,058 | 67.39% | 159 | 1.77% | 2 | 0.02% | -3,288 | -36.58% | 8,989 |
| Hillsdale | 3,143 | 32.61% | 6,173 | 64.04% | 319 | 3.31% | 4 | 0.04% | -3,030 | -31.43% | 9,639 |
| Houghton | 6,985 | 47.95% | 7,563 | 51.92% | 14 | 0.10% | 6 | 0.04% | -578 | -3.97% | 14,568 |
| Huron | 2,692 | 26.56% | 7,386 | 72.87% | 54 | 0.53% | 4 | 0.04% | -4,694 | -46.31% | 10,136 |
| Ingham | 21,266 | 42.12% | 28,725 | 56.89% | 475 | 0.94% | 27 | 0.05% | -7,459 | -14.77% | 50,493 |
| Ionia | 4,464 | 39.22% | 6,771 | 59.49% | 144 | 1.27% | 2 | 0.02% | -2,307 | -20.27% | 11,381 |
| Iosco | 1,169 | 32.87% | 2,363 | 66.45% | 24 | 0.67% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,194 | -33.58% | 3,556 |
| Iron | 4,493 | 57.62% | 3,272 | 41.96% | 29 | 0.37% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,221 | 15.66% | 7,798 |
| Isabella | 2,680 | 35.55% | 4,794 | 63.59% | 64 | 0.85% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,114 | -28.04% | 7,539 |
| Jackson | 12,626 | 40.78% | 18,020 | 58.20% | 295 | 0.95% | 22 | 0.07% | -5,394 | -17.42% | 30,963 |
| Kalamazoo | 14,397 | 40.05% | 21,220 | 59.03% | 316 | 0.88% | 13 | 0.04% | -6,823 | -18.98% | 35,946 |
| Kalkaska | 626 | 42.33% | 845 | 57.13% | 8 | 0.54% | 0 | 0.00% | -219 | -14.81% | 1,479 |
| Kent | 35,989 | 41.57% | 50,174 | 57.95% | 369 | 0.43% | 51 | 0.06% | -14,185 | -16.38% | 86,583 |
| Keweenaw | 757 | 54.11% | 640 | 45.75% | 2 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 117 | 8.36% | 1,399 |
| Lake | 970 | 44.68% | 1,185 | 54.58% | 12 | 0.55% | 4 | 0.18% | -215 | -9.90% | 2,171 |
| Lapeer | 3,660 | 37.02% | 6,157 | 62.27% | 64 | 0.65% | 6 | 0.06% | -2,497 | -25.26% | 9,887 |
| Leelanau | 1,083 | 35.96% | 1,923 | 63.84% | 6 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | -840 | -27.89% | 3,012 |
| Lenawee | 6,216 | 33.47% | 12,073 | 65.00% | 278 | 1.50% | 7 | 0.04% | -5,857 | -31.53% | 18,574 |
| Livingston | 3,036 | 33.00% | 6,077 | 66.06% | 86 | 0.93% | 0 | 0.00% | -3,041 | -33.06% | 9,199 |
| Luce | 667 | 37.79% | 1,096 | 62.10% | 2 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | -429 | -24.31% | 1,765 |
| Mackinac | 1,503 | 41.31% | 2,130 | 58.55% | 5 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -627 | -17.23% | 3,638 |
| Macomb | 23,582 | 56.00% | 18,407 | 43.71% | 53 | 0.13% | 65 | 0.15% | 5,175 | 12.29% | 42,107 |
| Manistee | 3,155 | 47.35% | 3,484 | 52.29% | 18 | 0.27% | 6 | 0.09% | -329 | -4.94% | 6,663 |
| Marquette | 8,858 | 50.95% | 8,502 | 48.90% | 21 | 0.12% | 4 | 0.02% | 356 | 2.05% | 17,385 |
| Mason | 3,129 | 43.69% | 3,978 | 55.54% | 49 | 0.68% | 6 | 0.08% | -849 | -11.85% | 7,162 |
| Mecosta | 1,626 | 32.39% | 3,327 | 66.27% | 66 | 1.31% | 1 | 0.02% | -1,701 | -33.88% | 5,020 |
| Menominee | 4,201 | 47.79% | 4,571 | 52.00% | 17 | 0.19% | 1 | 0.01% | -370 | -4.21% | 8,790 |
| Midland | 3,771 | 38.46% | 5,948 | 60.67% | 81 | 0.83% | 4 | 0.04% | -2,177 | -22.21% | 9,804 |
| Missaukee | 756 | 27.77% | 1,946 | 71.49% | 20 | 0.73% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,190 | -43.72% | 2,722 |
| Monroe | 8,994 | 48.09% | 9,600 | 51.33% | 84 | 0.45% | 26 | 0.14% | -606 | -3.24% | 18,704 |
| Montcalm | 3,463 | 35.60% | 6,192 | 63.65% | 70 | 0.72% | 3 | 0.03% | -2,729 | -28.05% | 9,728 |
| Montmorency | 643 | 40.85% | 912 | 57.94% | 19 | 1.21% | 0 | 0.00% | -269 | -17.09% | 1,574 |
| Muskegon | 16,806 | 52.98% | 14,773 | 46.57% | 103 | 0.32% | 39 | 0.12% | 2,033 | 6.41% | 31,721 |
| Newaygo | 2,052 | 32.51% | 4,211 | 66.72% | 47 | 0.74% | 1 | 0.02% | -2,159 | -34.21% | 6,311 |
| Oakland | 47,569 | 45.67% | 56,085 | 53.85% | 415 | 0.40% | 85 | 0.08% | -8,516 | -8.18% | 104,154 |
| Oceana | 1,724 | 37.32% | 2,798 | 60.58% | 95 | 2.06% | 2 | 0.04% | -1,704 | -23.25% | 4,619 |
| Ogemaw | 1,116 | 35.79% | 1,979 | 63.47% | 18 | 0.58% | 5 | 0.16% | -863 | -27.68% | 3,118 |
| Ontonagon | 2,455 | 52.51% | 2,217 | 47.42% | 1 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.04% | 238 | 5.09% | 4,675 |
| Osceola | 1,036 | 24.60% | 3,076 | 73.03% | 98 | 2.33% | 2 | 0.05% | -2,040 | -48.43% | 4,212 |
| Oscoda | 335 | 32.37% | 697 | 67.34% | 3 | 0.29% | 0 | 0.00% | -362 | -34.98% | 1,035 |
| Otsego | 890 | 37.47% | 1,480 | 62.32% | 5 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | -590 | -24.84% | 2,375 |
| Ottawa | 8,115 | 33.14% | 16,179 | 66.06% | 181 | 0.74% | 15 | 0.06% | -8,064 | -32.93% | 24,490 |
| Presque Isle | 1,724 | 41.70% | 2,391 | 57.84% | 18 | 0.44% | 1 | 0.02% | -667 | -16.13% | 4,134 |
| Roscommon | 691 | 29.81% | 1,616 | 69.72% | 8 | 0.35% | 3 | 0.13% | -925 | -39.91% | 2,318 |
| Saginaw | 17,023 | 42.09% | 23,093 | 57.10% | 296 | 0.73% | 32 | 0.08% | -6,070 | -15.01% | 40,444 |
| Sanilac | 2,594 | 23.99% | 8,124 | 75.13% | 90 | 0.83% | 5 | 0.05% | -5,530 | -51.14% | 10,813 |
| Schoolcraft | 1,506 | 46.87% | 1,698 | 52.85% | 4 | 0.12% | 5 | 0.16% | -192 | -5.98% | 3,213 |
| Shiawassee | 5,276 | 38.87% | 8,152 | 60.06% | 142 | 1.05% | 2 | 0.01% | -2,876 | -21.19% | 13,572 |
| St. Clair | 10,195 | 37.98% | 16,569 | 61.72% | 78 | 0.29% | 3 | 0.01% | -6,374 | -23.74% | 26,845 |
| St. Joseph | 3,374 | 30.12% | 7,696 | 68.71% | 130 | 1.16% | 1 | 0.01% | -4,322 | -38.59% | 11,201 |
| Tuscola | 2,796 | 27.44% | 7,220 | 70.86% | 170 | 1.67% | 3 | 0.03% | -4,424 | -43.42% | 10,189 |
| Van Buren | 4,462 | 34.12% | 8,552 | 65.39% | 53 | 0.41% | 11 | 0.08% | -4,090 | -31.27% | 13,078 |
| Washtenaw | 14,355 | 40.60% | 20,821 | 58.89% | 153 | 0.43% | 26 | 0.07% | -6,466 | -18.29% | 35,355 |
| Wayne | 448,296 | 61.29% | 280,772 | 38.39% | 1,318 | 0.18% | 1,056 | 0.14% | 167,524 | 22.90% | 731,442 |
| Wexford | 2,323 | 37.01% | 3,871 | 61.67% | 83 | 1.32% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,548 | -24.66% | 6,277 |
| Total | 935,152 | 49.76% | 933,998 | 49.70% | 8,511 | 0.45% | 1,721 | 0.09% | 1,154 | 0.06% | 1,879,382 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
References
- 1 2 Alger Jr., Frederick M. (1951). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, September 12, 1950". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1951. pp. 433–435. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- 1 2 Alger Jr., Frederick M. (1951). "Official Canvass of Votes, General Election, November 7, 1950". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1951. pp. 463–464. Retrieved June 10, 2026.