1974 Michigan gubernatorial election
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November 5, 1974
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 County results Milliken: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Levin: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1974 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974. William Milliken was elected to his second full term as Governor of Michigan in a rematch with Sander Levin.[1] This was the last time until 1990 that the state elected a governor of the same party as the sitting president.
Primary elections
Michigan held primary elections on August 6, 1974.
Republican party
Incumbent governor William Milliken was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Candidates
- William Milliken, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William Milliken (inc.) | 326,454 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 326,454 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic party
Sander M. Levin won the Democratic nomination for the second consecutive election.
Candidates
- Jerome P. Cavanagh, former mayor of Detroit
- Sander M. Levin, Democratic nominee for governor in 1970
- James E. Wells, attorney from Southfield[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sander M. Levin | 445,273 | 61.29% | |
| Democratic | Jerome P. Cavanagh | 199,361 | 27.44% | |
| Democratic | James E. Wells | 81,844 | 11.27% | |
| Total votes | 726,478 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- William G. Milliken & James Damman, Republican
- Sander M. Levin & Paul Brown, Democratic
Other candidates
- Eldon K. Andrews & Al G. Terwilliger, Conservative
- Hugh McDermand Davidson & Josephine A. Chapman, American Independent
- Thomas Dennis & William Allan, Communist
- Zolton Ferency & Regina McNulty, Human Rights
- James Horvath & Alfred W. Wegener, Socialist Labor
- Robin Maisel & Ruth C. Getts, Socialist Workers
- Peter Signorelli & Ronald Wayne Evans, U. S. Labor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William G. Milliken (inc.) | 1,356,865 | 51.07% | +0.65% | |
| Democratic | Sander M. Levin | 1,242,247 | 46.75 | −1.99% | |
| Human Rights | Zolton Ferency | 28,675 | 1.08% | ||
| American Independent | Hugh McDermand Davidson | 20,278 | 0.76% | +0.09% | |
| Conservative | Eldon K. Andrews | 4,117 | 0.15% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Robin Maisel | 1,505 | 0.06% | −0.03% | |
| Socialist Labor | James Horvath | 1,296 | 0.05% | −0.03% | |
| Communist | Thomas Dennis | 1,119 | 0.04% | ||
| U.S. Labor | Peter Signorelli | 898 | 0.03% | ||
| Scattering | 17 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 114,618 | 4.31% | |||
| Total votes | 2,657,017 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | +2.64% | |||
Results by county
Kalkaska County voted Democratic for the first time since 1912 and for only the second time since it was organized in 1871. Meanwhile Gladwin County and Mackinac County voted Democratic for the first time since 1932. This was the only gubernatorial election from 1954 to 1998 in which Monroe County voted for the losing candidate.
| County[4] | William Milliken Republican |
Sander Levin Democratic |
Zolton Ferency Human Rights |
Hugh M. Davidson American Independent |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 1,616 | 53.56% | 1,369 | 45.38% | 6 | 0.20% | 20 | 0.66% | 6 | 0.20% | 247 | 8.19% | 3,017 |
| Alger | 1,366 | 41.41% | 1,896 | 57.47% | 21 | 0.64% | 11 | 0.33% | 5 | 0.15% | -530 | -16.07% | 3,299 |
| Allegan | 12,917 | 61.87% | 7,565 | 36.23% | 58 | 0.28% | 288 | 1.38% | 51 | 0.24% | 5,352 | 25.63% | 20,879 |
| Alpena | 4,776 | 49.55% | 4,721 | 48.98% | 53 | 0.55% | 67 | 0.70% | 22 | 0.23% | 55 | 0.57% | 9,639 |
| Antrim | 3,228 | 59.28% | 2,134 | 39.19% | 19 | 0.35% | 51 | 0.94% | 13 | 0.24% | 1,094 | 20.09% | 5,445 |
| Arenac | 1,948 | 51.56% | 1,802 | 47.70% | 5 | 0.13% | 19 | 0.50% | 4 | 0.11% | 146 | 3.86% | 3,778 |
| Baraga | 1,437 | 49.36% | 1,440 | 49.47% | 10 | 0.34% | 16 | 0.55% | 8 | 0.27% | -3 | -0.10% | 2,911 |
| Barry | 7,739 | 57.63% | 5,493 | 40.91% | 42 | 0.31% | 148 | 1.10% | 6 | 0.04% | 2,246 | 16.73% | 13,428 |
| Bay | 17,491 | 46.24% | 19,945 | 52.73% | 108 | 0.29% | 210 | 0.56% | 70 | 0.19% | -2,454 | -6.49% | 37,824 |
| Benzie | 2,079 | 60.03% | 1,354 | 39.10% | 12 | 0.35% | 15 | 0.43% | 3 | 0.09% | 725 | 20.94% | 3,463 |
| Berrien | 24,971 | 57.05% | 17,778 | 40.62% | 130 | 0.30% | 685 | 1.56% | 207 | 0.47% | 7,193 | 16.43% | 43,771 |
| Branch | 5,887 | 57.06% | 4,310 | 41.78% | 34 | 0.33% | 65 | 0.63% | 21 | 0.20% | 1,577 | 15.29% | 10,317 |
| Calhoun | 22,254 | 55.06% | 17,488 | 43.27% | 191 | 0.47% | 350 | 0.87% | 132 | 0.33% | 4,766 | 11.79% | 40,415 |
| Cass | 6,077 | 52.04% | 5,416 | 46.38% | 31 | 0.27% | 106 | 0.91% | 48 | 0.41% | 661 | 5.66% | 11,678 |
| Charlevoix | 3,530 | 51.49% | 3,231 | 47.13% | 24 | 0.35% | 61 | 0.89% | 10 | 0.15% | 299 | 4.36% | 6,856 |
| Cheboygan | 3,621 | 54.86% | 2,886 | 43.72% | 22 | 0.33% | 65 | 0.98% | 7 | 0.11% | 735 | 11.13% | 6,601 |
| Chippewa | 4,877 | 52.99% | 4,184 | 45.46% | 57 | 0.62% | 65 | 0.71% | 21 | 0.23% | 693 | 7.53% | 9,204 |
| Clare | 3,129 | 50.34% | 2,974 | 47.84% | 12 | 0.19% | 35 | 0.56% | 66 | 1.06% | 155 | 2.49% | 6,216 |
| Clinton | 9,020 | 58.17% | 6,163 | 39.75% | 153 | 0.99% | 124 | 0.80% | 45 | 0.29% | 2,857 | 18.43% | 15,505 |
| Crawford | 1,470 | 57.85% | 1,042 | 41.01% | 13 | 0.51% | 13 | 0.51% | 3 | 0.12% | 428 | 16.84% | 2,541 |
| Delta | 5,615 | 42.04% | 7,551 | 56.53% | 72 | 0.54% | 82 | 0.61% | 37 | 0.28% | -1,936 | -14.49% | 13,357 |
| Dickinson | 4,183 | 43.40% | 5,347 | 55.47% | 24 | 0.25% | 58 | 0.60% | 27 | 0.28% | -1,164 | -12.08% | 9,639 |
| Eaton | 14,640 | 61.78% | 8,625 | 36.40% | 255 | 1.08% | 128 | 0.54% | 49 | 0.21% | 6,015 | 25.38% | 23,697 |
| Emmet | 3,971 | 56.71% | 2,924 | 41.76% | 30 | 0.43% | 63 | 0.90% | 14 | 0.20% | 1,047 | 14.95% | 7,002 |
| Genesee | 57,509 | 48.21% | 59,510 | 49.89% | 1,189 | 1.00% | 729 | 0.61% | 342 | 0.29% | -2,001 | -1.68% | 119,279 |
| Gladwin | 2,454 | 49.02% | 2,505 | 50.04% | 9 | 0.18% | 25 | 0.50% | 13 | 0.26% | -51 | -1.02% | 5,006 |
| Gogebic | 3,005 | 35.34% | 5,415 | 63.69% | 31 | 0.36% | 32 | 0.38% | 19 | 0.22% | -2,410 | -28.35% | 8,502 |
| Grand Traverse | 9,508 | 63.85% | 5,104 | 34.27% | 71 | 0.48% | 153 | 1.03% | 56 | 0.38% | 4,404 | 29.57% | 14,892 |
| Gratiot | 6,417 | 61.48% | 3,913 | 37.49% | 47 | 0.45% | 41 | 0.39% | 20 | 0.19% | 2,504 | 23.99% | 10,438 |
| Hillsdale | 5,983 | 59.04% | 3,992 | 39.39% | 40 | 0.39% | 93 | 0.92% | 26 | 0.26% | 1,991 | 19.65% | 10,134 |
| Houghton | 6,236 | 52.90% | 5,425 | 46.02% | 43 | 0.36% | 60 | 0.51% | 25 | 0.21% | 811 | 6.88% | 11,789 |
| Huron | 7,172 | 62.58% | 4,119 | 35.94% | 27 | 0.24% | 131 | 1.14% | 12 | 0.10% | 3,053 | 26.64% | 11,461 |
| Ingham | 52,519 | 59.03% | 31,116 | 34.98% | 4,656 | 5.23% | 335 | 0.38% | 340 | 0.38% | 21,403 | 24.06% | 88,966 |
| Ionia | 7,861 | 55.52% | 6,110 | 43.15% | 49 | 0.35% | 127 | 0.90% | 12 | 0.08% | 1,751 | 12.37% | 14,159 |
| Iosco | 3,826 | 52.82% | 3,349 | 46.23% | 24 | 0.33% | 28 | 0.39% | 17 | 0.23% | 477 | 6.58% | 7,244 |
| Iron | 2,774 | 43.93% | 3,499 | 55.42% | 15 | 0.24% | 12 | 0.19% | 14 | 0.22% | -725 | -11.48% | 6,314 |
| Isabella | 6,342 | 52.85% | 5,278 | 43.98% | 245 | 2.04% | 77 | 0.64% | 59 | 0.49% | 1,064 | 8.87% | 12,001 |
| Jackson | 22,998 | 54.22% | 18,547 | 43.72% | 235 | 0.55% | 546 | 1.29% | 92 | 0.22% | 4,451 | 10.49% | 42,418 |
| Kalamazoo | 35,200 | 60.52% | 21,732 | 37.36% | 565 | 0.97% | 491 | 0.84% | 178 | 0.31% | 13,468 | 23.15% | 58,166 |
| Kalkaska | 1,285 | 48.79% | 1,300 | 49.35% | 9 | 0.34% | 31 | 1.18% | 9 | 0.34% | -15 | -0.57% | 2,634 |
| Kent | 81,040 | 58.90% | 54,047 | 39.28% | 489 | 0.36% | 1,665 | 1.21% | 347 | 0.25% | 26,993 | 19.62% | 137,588 |
| Keweenaw | 536 | 50.14% | 529 | 49.49% | 1 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 7 | 0.65% | 1,069 |
| Lake | 1,272 | 45.90% | 1,467 | 52.94% | 8 | 0.29% | 22 | 0.79% | 2 | 0.07% | -195 | -7.04% | 2,771 |
| Lapeer | 8,050 | 53.71% | 6,560 | 43.77% | 86 | 0.57% | 245 | 1.63% | 47 | 0.31% | 1,490 | 9.94% | 14,988 |
| Leelanau | 3,147 | 61.07% | 1,924 | 37.34% | 33 | 0.64% | 39 | 0.76% | 10 | 0.19% | 1,223 | 23.73% | 5,153 |
| Lenawee | 12,269 | 55.59% | 9,505 | 43.07% | 119 | 0.54% | 115 | 0.52% | 63 | 0.29% | 2,764 | 12.52% | 22,071 |
| Livingston | 13,274 | 61.99% | 7,671 | 35.83% | 219 | 1.02% | 185 | 0.86% | 63 | 0.29% | 5,603 | 26.17% | 21,412 |
| Luce | 1,028 | 50.44% | 1,004 | 49.26% | 1 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.20% | 1 | 0.05% | 24 | 1.18% | 2,038 |
| Mackinac | 2,219 | 48.30% | 2,326 | 50.63% | 18 | 0.39% | 21 | 0.46% | 10 | 0.22% | -107 | -2.33% | 4,594 |
| Macomb | 90,896 | 50.09% | 86,356 | 47.59% | 1,676 | 0.92% | 1,822 | 1.00% | 717 | 0.40% | 4,540 | 2.50% | 181,467 |
| Manistee | 3,715 | 51.19% | 3,457 | 47.64% | 21 | 0.29% | 45 | 0.62% | 19 | 0.26% | 258 | 3.56% | 7,257 |
| Marquette | 9,018 | 47.02% | 9,825 | 51.23% | 169 | 0.88% | 116 | 0.60% | 51 | 0.27% | -807 | -4.21% | 19,179 |
| Mason | 4,371 | 53.28% | 3,738 | 45.56% | 19 | 0.23% | 56 | 0.68% | 20 | 0.24% | 633 | 7.72% | 8,204 |
| Mecosta | 4,511 | 56.53% | 3,350 | 41.98% | 49 | 0.61% | 46 | 0.58% | 24 | 0.30% | 1,161 | 14.55% | 7,980 |
| Menominee | 3,620 | 44.95% | 4,331 | 53.78% | 18 | 0.22% | 67 | 0.83% | 17 | 0.21% | -711 | -8.83% | 8,053 |
| Midland | 12,464 | 59.32% | 8,211 | 39.08% | 119 | 0.57% | 161 | 0.77% | 55 | 0.26% | 4,253 | 20.24% | 21,010 |
| Missaukee | 2,038 | 62.10% | 1,211 | 36.90% | 7 | 0.21% | 23 | 0.70% | 3 | 0.09% | 827 | 25.20% | 3,282 |
| Monroe | 14,439 | 47.27% | 15,530 | 50.85% | 175 | 0.57% | 324 | 1.06% | 75 | 0.25% | -1,091 | -3.57% | 30,543 |
| Montcalm | 6,787 | 57.09% | 4,924 | 41.42% | 40 | 0.34% | 121 | 1.02% | 17 | 0.14% | 1,863 | 15.67% | 11,889 |
| Montmorency | 1,447 | 56.02% | 1,097 | 42.47% | 10 | 0.39% | 27 | 1.05% | 2 | 0.08% | 350 | 13.55% | 2,583 |
| Muskegon | 23,589 | 48.45% | 24,334 | 49.98% | 120 | 0.25% | 521 | 1.07% | 123 | 0.25% | -745 | -1.53% | 48,687 |
| Newaygo | 5,498 | 53.48% | 4,629 | 45.03% | 28 | 0.27% | 104 | 1.01% | 21 | 0.20% | 869 | 8.45% | 10,280 |
| Oakland | 168,527 | 57.26% | 118,938 | 40.41% | 3,404 | 1.16% | 2,213 | 0.75% | 1,261 | 0.43% | 49,589 | 16.85% | 294,343 |
| Oceana | 3,188 | 50.35% | 3,049 | 48.15% | 18 | 0.28% | 70 | 1.11% | 7 | 0.11% | 139 | 2.20% | 6,332 |
| Ogemaw | 2,411 | 52.31% | 2,142 | 46.47% | 16 | 0.35% | 34 | 0.74% | 6 | 0.13% | 269 | 5.84% | 4,609 |
| Ontonagon | 1,969 | 43.65% | 2,518 | 55.82% | 6 | 0.13% | 15 | 0.33% | 3 | 0.07% | -549 | -12.17% | 4,511 |
| Osceola | 3,063 | 58.81% | 2,046 | 39.29% | 19 | 0.36% | 67 | 1.29% | 13 | 0.25% | 1,017 | 19.53% | 5,208 |
| Oscoda | 998 | 57.26% | 721 | 41.37% | 6 | 0.34% | 12 | 0.69% | 6 | 0.34% | 277 | 15.89% | 1,743 |
| Otsego | 2,118 | 54.36% | 1,736 | 44.56% | 10 | 0.26% | 23 | 0.59% | 9 | 0.23% | 382 | 9.80% | 3,896 |
| Ottawa | 31,366 | 67.19% | 14,622 | 31.32% | 143 | 0.31% | 468 | 1.00% | 87 | 0.19% | 16,744 | 35.87% | 46,686 |
| Presque Isle | 2,684 | 49.81% | 2,673 | 49.61% | 8 | 0.15% | 18 | 0.33% | 5 | 0.09% | 11 | 0.20% | 5,388 |
| Roscommon | 3,403 | 57.37% | 2,464 | 41.54% | 23 | 0.39% | 36 | 0.61% | 6 | 0.10% | 939 | 15.83% | 5,932 |
| Saginaw | 33,797 | 52.68% | 29,597 | 46.14% | 231 | 0.36% | 364 | 0.57% | 164 | 0.26% | 4,200 | 6.55% | 64,153 |
| Sanilac | 7,641 | 63.02% | 4,295 | 35.42% | 34 | 0.28% | 136 | 1.12% | 19 | 0.16% | 3,346 | 27.60% | 12,125 |
| Schoolcraft | 1,403 | 42.28% | 1,899 | 57.23% | 9 | 0.27% | 5 | 0.15% | 2 | 0.06% | -496 | -14.95% | 3,318 |
| Shiawassee | 10,476 | 53.02% | 8,852 | 44.80% | 202 | 1.02% | 180 | 0.91% | 50 | 0.25% | 1,624 | 8.22% | 19,760 |
| St. Clair | 18,210 | 51.21% | 16,702 | 46.97% | 216 | 0.61% | 346 | 0.97% | 86 | 0.24% | 1,508 | 4.24% | 35,560 |
| St. Joseph | 7,705 | 59.27% | 5,119 | 39.38% | 27 | 0.21% | 132 | 1.02% | 17 | 0.13% | 2,586 | 19.89% | 13,000 |
| Tuscola | 8,804 | 59.70% | 5,767 | 39.11% | 40 | 0.27% | 110 | 0.75% | 25 | 0.17% | 3,037 | 20.60% | 14,746 |
| Van Buren | 9,189 | 56.22% | 6,771 | 41.43% | 48 | 0.29% | 283 | 1.73% | 53 | 0.32% | 2,418 | 14.79% | 16,344 |
| Washtenaw | 41,085 | 54.22% | 29,064 | 38.35% | 4,771 | 6.30% | 551 | 0.73% | 307 | 0.41% | 12,021 | 15.86% | 75,778 |
| Wayne | 290,894 | 40.94% | 405,461 | 57.07% | 7,353 | 1.03% | 3,764 | 0.53% | 3,019 | 0.42% | -114,567 | -16.13% | 710,491 |
| Wexford | 3,775 | 53.09% | 3,233 | 45.46% | 29 | 0.41% | 63 | 0.89% | 11 | 0.15% | 542 | 7.62% | 7,111 |
| Total | 1,356,865 | 51.07% | 1,242,247 | 46.75% | 28,675 | 1.08% | 20,278 | 0.76% | 8,952 | 0.34% | 114,618 | 4.31% | 2,657,017 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
References
- ↑ 2011–2012 Michigan Manual: Chapter IX—Elections: Summary of Vote for Governor, 1835-2010
- 1 2 "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, August 6, 1974". Michigan Manual 1975-1976. Lansing: Michigan Department of Management and Budget. 1975. pp. 489–490. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Big Race Is For Governor". The Grand Rapids Press. Vol. 82, no. 323. Grand Rapids. August 1, 1974. p. 3-H. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- 1 2 "Official Canvass of Votes, General Election, November 5, 1974". Michigan Manual 1975-1976. Lansing: Michigan Department of Management and Budget. 1975. pp. 544–546. Retrieved June 12, 2026.