1964 Michigan gubernatorial election
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November 3, 1964
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| Turnout | 40.37% | |||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Romney: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Staebler: 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1964 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent Republican George W. Romney defeated Democratic nominee Neil O. Staebler with 55.87% of the vote.
This was the first election in which the governor and lieutenant governor were elected on a joint ticket. Previously, both offices were elected separately. This also marked the last time the governor was elected to a two-year term, as in 1963 a new state constitution had been adopted, extending the term length to four years, effective with the next election.[1]
Primary election
Michigan held primary elections on September 1, 1964.
Republican party
Incumbent governor George W. Romney easily won renomination.
Candidates
- George W. Romney, incumbent governor
- George N. Higgins, former member of Michigan Senate[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George W. Romney (inc.) | 583,356 | 87.86% | |
| Republican | George N. Higgins | 80,608 | 12.14% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 17 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 663,981 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic party
United States Representative Neil Staebler won the Democratic nomination unopposed.
Candidates
- Neil Staebler, representative from Michigan's at-large congressional district
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Neil Staebler | 510,588 | 99.99% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 42 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 510,630 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- George W. Romney & William Milliken, Republican
- Neil Staebler & Robert A. Derengoski, Democratic
Other candidates
- Frank Lovell & Harriet Talan, Socialist Workers
- Albert B. Cleage Jr. & James Jackson, Freedom Now
- James C. Horvath & W. Clifford Bentley, Socialist Labor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George W. Romney (inc.) | 1,764,355 | 55.87% | +4.51% | |
| Democratic | Neil Staebler | 1,381,442 | 43.74% | −4.71% | |
| Socialist Workers | Frank Lovell | 5,649 | 0.18% | ||
| Freedom Now | Albert B. Cleage Jr. | 4,767 | 0.15% | ||
| Socialist Labor | James C. Horvath | 1,777 | 0.06% | −0.13% | |
| Scattering | 112 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 382,913 | 12.12% | |||
| Total votes | 3,158,102 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | +9.21% | |||
Results by county
Delta County and Dickinson County voted Republican for the first time since 1930.
| County[4] | George W. Romney Republican |
Neil Staebler Democratic |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 1,799 | 64.81% | 975 | 35.12% | 2 | 0.07% | 824 | 29.68% | 2,776 |
| Alger | 1,732 | 46.98% | 1,950 | 52.89% | 5 | 0.14% | -218 | -5.91% | 3,687 |
| Allegan | 16,159 | 70.54% | 6,706 | 29.27% | 42 | 0.18% | 9,453 | 41.27% | 22,907 |
| Alpena | 7,009 | 62.18% | 4,260 | 37.79% | 4 | 0.04% | 2,749 | 24.39% | 11,273 |
| Antrim | 3,320 | 68.91% | 1,495 | 31.03% | 3 | 0.06% | 1,825 | 37.88% | 4,818 |
| Arenac | 2,288 | 59.93% | 1,527 | 39.99% | 3 | 0.08% | 761 | 19.93% | 3,818 |
| Baraga | 1,777 | 48.30% | 1,887 | 51.29% | 15 | 0.41% | -110 | -2.99% | 3,679 |
| Barry | 9,066 | 67.07% | 4,423 | 32.72% | 29 | 0.21% | 4,643 | 34.35% | 13,518 |
| Bay | 22,157 | 53.79% | 18,892 | 45.86% | 142 | 0.34% | 3,265 | 7.93% | 41,191 |
| Benzie | 2,460 | 68.05% | 1,153 | 31.89% | 2 | 0.06% | 1,307 | 36.15% | 3,615 |
| Berrien | 33,533 | 57.00% | 25,079 | 42.63% | 217 | 0.37% | 8,454 | 14.37% | 58,829 |
| Branch | 8,140 | 63.27% | 4,683 | 36.40% | 42 | 0.33% | 3,457 | 26.87% | 12,865 |
| Calhoun | 32,267 | 62.53% | 19,175 | 37.16% | 164 | 0.32% | 13,092 | 25.37% | 51,606 |
| Cass | 7,462 | 51.61% | 6,948 | 48.05% | 49 | 0.34% | 514 | 3.55% | 14,459 |
| Charlevoix | 4,096 | 64.97% | 2,204 | 34.96% | 4 | 0.06% | 1,892 | 30.01% | 6,304 |
| Cheboygan | 3,899 | 61.33% | 2,455 | 38.62% | 3 | 0.05% | 1,444 | 22.72% | 6,357 |
| Chippewa | 6,346 | 61.24% | 3,995 | 38.55% | 22 | 0.21% | 2,351 | 22.69% | 10,363 |
| Clare | 3,394 | 66.19% | 1,725 | 33.64% | 9 | 0.18% | 1,669 | 32.55% | 5,128 |
| Clinton | 9,305 | 63.39% | 5,364 | 36.54% | 11 | 0.07% | 3,941 | 26.85% | 14,680 |
| Crawford | 1,328 | 62.20% | 807 | 37.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 521 | 24.40% | 2,135 |
| Delta | 7,422 | 52.44% | 6,705 | 47.38% | 26 | 0.18% | 717 | 5.07% | 14,153 |
| Dickinson | 5,672 | 51.54% | 5,319 | 48.33% | 15 | 0.14% | 353 | 3.21% | 11,006 |
| Eaton | 13,841 | 64.92% | 7,450 | 34.94% | 29 | 0.14% | 6,391 | 29.98% | 21,320 |
| Emmet | 4,424 | 64.72% | 2,400 | 35.11% | 12 | 0.18% | 2,024 | 29.61% | 6,836 |
| Genesee | 77,234 | 52.64% | 69,069 | 47.08% | 413 | 0.28% | 8,165 | 5.57% | 146,716 |
| Gladwin | 3,060 | 66.58% | 1,535 | 33.40% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,525 | 33.18% | 4,596 |
| Gogebic | 5,046 | 45.47% | 6,016 | 54.21% | 35 | 0.32% | -970 | -8.74% | 11,097 |
| Grand Traverse | 9,565 | 70.26% | 4,018 | 29.52% | 3 | 0.22% | 5,547 | 40.75% | 13,613 |
| Gratiot | 8,743 | 69.01% | 3,912 | 30.88% | 15 | 0.12% | 4,831 | 38.13% | 12,670 |
| Hillsdale | 8,850 | 68.47% | 4,053 | 31.36% | 23 | 0.18% | 4,797 | 37.11% | 12,926 |
| Houghton | 7,721 | 52.94% | 6,856 | 47.01% | 8 | 0.05% | 865 | 5.93% | 14,585 |
| Huron | 8,793 | 65.70% | 4,573 | 34.17% | 17 | 0.13% | 4,220 | 31.53% | 13,383 |
| Ingham | 53,862 | 62.27% | 32,479 | 37.55% | 160 | 0.18% | 21,383 | 24.72% | 86,501 |
| Ionia | 10,125 | 63.11% | 5,893 | 36.73% | 25 | 0.16% | 4,232 | 26.38% | 16,043 |
| Iosco | 4,567 | 65.77% | 2,375 | 34.20% | 2 | 0.03% | 2,192 | 31.57% | 6,944 |
| Iron | 3,961 | 48.10% | 4,268 | 51.83% | 6 | 0.07% | -307 | -3.73% | 8,235 |
| Isabella | 7,695 | 66.40% | 3,884 | 33.51% | 10 | 0.09% | 3,811 | 32.88% | 11,589 |
| Jackson | 30,246 | 62.17% | 18,291 | 37.59% | 116 | 0.24% | 11,955 | 24.57% | 48,653 |
| Kalamazoo | 46,970 | 69.88% | 19,953 | 29.69% | 291 | 0.43% | 27,017 | 40.20% | 67,214 |
| Kalkaska | 1,368 | 66.54% | 682 | 33.17% | 6 | 0.29% | 686 | 33.37% | 2,056 |
| Kent | 99,528 | 65.68% | 51,669 | 34.10% | 344 | 0.23% | 47,859 | 31.58% | 151,541 |
| Keweenaw | 588 | 49.12% | 608 | 50.79% | 1 | 0.08% | -20 | -1.67% | 1,197 |
| Lake | 1,246 | 46.88% | 1,409 | 53.01% | 3 | 0.11% | -163 | -6.13% | 2,658 |
| Lapeer | 9,668 | 66.69% | 4,818 | 33.24% | 10 | 0.07% | 4,850 | 33.46% | 14,496 |
| Leelanau | 3,041 | 69.46% | 1,327 | 30.31% | 10 | 0.23% | 1,714 | 39.15% | 4,378 |
| Lenawee | 18,197 | 65.05% | 9,682 | 34.61% | 95 | 0.34% | 8,515 | 30.44% | 27,974 |
| Livingston | 11,023 | 67.63% | 5,232 | 32.10% | 45 | 0.28% | 5,791 | 35.53% | 16,300 |
| Luce | 1,474 | 63.98% | 830 | 36.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 644 | 27.95% | 2,304 |
| Mackinac | 2,977 | 63.71% | 1,694 | 36.25% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,283 | 27.46% | 4,673 |
| Macomb | 91,228 | 52.49% | 81,955 | 47.16% | 604 | 0.35% | 9,273 | 5.34% | 173,787 |
| Manistee | 4,777 | 57.33% | 3,550 | 42.60% | 6 | 0.07% | 1,227 | 14.72% | 8,333 |
| Marquette | 10,987 | 54.10% | 9,275 | 45.67% | 47 | 0.23% | 1,712 | 8.43% | 20,309 |
| Mason | 5,813 | 59.90% | 3,886 | 40.04% | 6 | 0.06% | 1,927 | 19.86% | 9,705 |
| Mecosta | 5,228 | 69.26% | 2,315 | 30.67% | 5 | 0.07% | 2,913 | 38.59% | 7,548 |
| Menominee | 5,621 | 53.97% | 4,770 | 45.80% | 24 | 0.23% | 851 | 8.17% | 10,415 |
| Midland | 15,319 | 71.28% | 6,131 | 28.53% | 42 | 0.20% | 9,188 | 42.75% | 21,492 |
| Missaukee | 2,306 | 76.54% | 706 | 23.43% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,600 | 53.10% | 3,013 |
| Monroe | 20,388 | 54.40% | 16,959 | 45.25% | 134 | 0.36% | 3,429 | 9.15% | 37,481 |
| Montcalm | 9,411 | 67.13% | 4,593 | 32.76% | 16 | 0.11% | 4,818 | 34.37% | 14,020 |
| Montmorency | 1,403 | 63.95% | 790 | 36.01% | 1 | 0.05% | 613 | 27.94% | 2,194 |
| Muskegon | 34,009 | 58.32% | 23,646 | 40.55% | 655 | 1.12% | 10,363 | 17.77% | 58,310 |
| Newaygo | 7,099 | 68.92% | 3,190 | 30.97% | 12 | 0.12% | 3,909 | 37.95% | 10,301 |
| Oakland | 190,653 | 64.43% | 103,977 | 35.14% | 1,264 | 0.43% | 86,676 | 29.29% | 295,894 |
| Oceana | 4,282 | 64.84% | 2,314 | 35.04% | 8 | 0.12% | 1,968 | 29.80% | 6,604 |
| Ogemaw | 2,610 | 59.52% | 1,772 | 40.41% | 3 | 0.07% | 838 | 19.11% | 4,385 |
| Ontonagon | 2,720 | 53.87% | 2,324 | 46.03% | 5 | 0.10% | 396 | 7.84% | 5,049 |
| Osceola | 3,972 | 71.25% | 1,594 | 28.59% | 9 | 0.16% | 2,378 | 42.65% | 5,575 |
| Oscoda | 1,173 | 69.33% | 516 | 30.50% | 3 | 0.18% | 657 | 38.83% | 1,692 |
| Otsego | 2,044 | 59.54% | 1,388 | 40.43% | 1 | 0.03% | 656 | 19.11% | 3,433 |
| Ottawa | 32,931 | 74.23% | 11,317 | 25.51% | 118 | 0.27% | 21,614 | 48.72% | 44,366 |
| Presque Isle | 2,840 | 54.24% | 2,393 | 45.70% | 3 | 0.06% | 447 | 8.54% | 5,236 |
| Roscommon | 2,645 | 65.89% | 1,366 | 34.03% | 3 | 0.07% | 1,279 | 31.86% | 4,014 |
| Saginaw | 40,874 | 55.98% | 31,883 | 43.67% | 260 | 0.36% | 8,991 | 12.31% | 73,017 |
| Sanilac | 10,245 | 74.80% | 3,444 | 25.15% | 7 | 0.05% | 6,801 | 49.66% | 13,696 |
| Schoolcraft | 2,089 | 52.67% | 1,873 | 47.23% | 4 | 0.10% | 216 | 5.45% | 3,966 |
| Shiawassee | 12,842 | 60.60% | 8,257 | 38.96% | 93 | 0.44% | 4,585 | 21.64% | 21,192 |
| St. Clair | 26,794 | 65.47% | 14,026 | 34.27% | 108 | 0.26% | 12,768 | 31.20% | 40,928 |
| St. Joseph | 10,928 | 66.72% | 5,425 | 33.12% | 25 | 0.15% | 5,503 | 33.60% | 16,378 |
| Tuscola | 10,969 | 66.24% | 5,582 | 33.71% | 8 | 0.05% | 5,387 | 32.53% | 16,559 |
| Van Buren | 12,101 | 63.25% | 6,944 | 36.30% | 87 | 0.45% | 5,157 | 26.95% | 19,132 |
| Washtenaw | 45,894 | 67.99% | 21,312 | 31.57% | 300 | 0.44% | 24,582 | 36.41% | 67,506 |
| Wayne | 483,012 | 44.91% | 586,591 | 54.54% | 5,920 | 0.55% | -103,579 | -9.63% | 1,075,523 |
| Wexford | 4,704 | 63.71% | 2,675 | 36.23% | 5 | 0.07% | 2,029 | 27.48% | 7,384 |
| Total | 1,764,355 | 55.87% | 1,381,442 | 43.74% | 12,305 | 0.39% | 382,913 | 12.12% | 3,158,102 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
References
- ↑ "MCL - Article V § 21 - Michigan Legislature". www.legislature.mi.gov. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
- ↑ "Legislator Details". Library of Michigan. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- 1 2 Hare, James M. (1965). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, September 1, 1964". Michigan Manual 1965-1966. pp. 405–406. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- 1 2 Hare, James M. (1965). "Official Canvass of Votes, General Election, November 3, 1964". Michigan Manual 1965-1966. pp. 454–455. Retrieved June 11, 2026.