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2006 Michigan gubernatorial election

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The 2006 Michigan gubernatorial election was one of the 36 U.S. gubernatorial elections held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm was re-elected with 56% over Republican businessman Dick DeVos and three minor party candidates.[2]

Quick facts Turnout, Nominee ...
2006 Michigan gubernatorial election
← 2002
November 7, 2006
2010 →
Turnout50.7% Increase 7.2[1]
 
Nominee Jennifer Granholm Dick DeVos
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate John Cherry Ruth Johnson
Popular vote 2,142,513 1,608,086
Percentage 56.36% 42.30%
Granholm:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
DeVos:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Jennifer Granholm
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Jennifer Granholm
Democratic

Close

As of 2022, this is the last time the Democratic candidate for Governor carried the counties of Keweenaw, Houghton, Ontonagon, Iron, Dickinson, Menominee, Delta, Schoolcraft, Mackinac, Luce, Chippewa, Mason, Lake, Oceana, Van Buren, Cass, Calhoun, Monroe, Jackson, Tuscola, Shiawassee, Montcalm, Ionia, Gratiot, Midland, Clare, Gladwin, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Arenac, Crawford, Alcona, Alpena, and Presque Isle.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Granholm had no opposition in the primary election, which was held August 8. She retained incumbent Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry as her running mate.

More information Party, Candidate ...
Democratic primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jennifer Granholm (incumbent) 531,322 100.00
Total votes 531,322 100.00
Close

Republican primary

Candidates

Disqualified from ballot

  • Louis Boven (ran write-in campaign)

Withdrawn

DeVos was originally facing two other Republicans; state Representative Jack Hoogendyk of Portage and state Senator Nancy Cassis of Novi, both dropped out by summer 2005. A political unknown, Louis Boven, tried to challenge him in the primary, but failed to meet Michigan election requirements to get on the ballot. Boven later ran an unsuccessful write-in campaign.[citation needed]

DeVos selected former State Representative and Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson as his running mate on August 14.[4]

General election

Candidates

Campaign

Dick DeVos' wife, Betsy, with a supporter at a campaign event in Houghton County.

After her first election as governor in 2002, Granholm was widely seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party. Her popularity dropped after she took office in 2003, largely due to a weak economy and high unemployment. In August 2006, her approval rating was 47 percent.[15]

DeVos, a multimillionaire, had developed substantial political contacts with the full participation of his wife, former Michigan Republican Party chair Betsy DeVos, despite which, fully 85% of the DeVos campaign's contributions were from DeVos' inheritance.[16] As the 2006 election approached, the DeVos family was listed among the biggest Republican campaign contributors in Michigan.[17] The DeVos campaign spent $42.5 million, at that time the most spent on a gubernatorial campaign in Michigan history. $35.5 million of that total came from DeVos' personal fortune, and was at that time the most spent personally by a Republican candidate running for governor. The Granholm campaign spent $15.7 million. The combined money spent by both campaigns made this election the most expensive gubernatorial election in Michigan history. As DeVos funded his campaign himself, he was not eligible for public funds.[18]

The DeVos and Campbell campaigns each made the state's economy their major issue. DeVos criticized the Single Business Tax, high unemployment, and job outsourcing which occurred during Granholm's first term; Campbell assailed the $12 billion taken from Michigan's taxpayers and appropriated to the military siege of Iraq (which he calls "Duh-bya's Folly") and advocated for a local currency, independent of the U.S. dollar which he and running mate David Skrbina say is in imminent jeopardy of collapse. Granholm countered that her policies saved thousands of jobs. She also attacked DeVos's partisanship, wealth, and tenure at Alticor. One of Granholm's most prominent lines of attack was the accusation that Alticor, under DeVos's tenure, outsourced thousands of jobs to China while cutting 1,400 jobs in Michigan, a charge that the DeVos campaign and numerous media factcheckers denied. DeVos, Campbell and Granholm criticized the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative which was exclusively supported by Creswell.[19][20] and passed by a wide margin.[21]

On August 25, 2006, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pledged to actively campaign for Granholm and utilize the campaign team which got him re-elected as mayor.[22] The Michigan Democratic Party held their state convention in city of Detroit at Cobo Hall while the Michigan Republican Party held their convention in the City of Novi in Oakland County at the new Rock Financial Showplace.

In October 2006, the Creswell campaign spent over $10,000 on radio advertising, which while small, was the most spent on a such advertising by any Michigan gubernatorial campaign outside the Democratic or Republican parties.[23][24] The largest investment was made in advertisements on Detroit AM Radio stations WJR and WXYT.[25] These commercials specifically targeted Devos and Granholm by referring to them as candidates of "The two old parties," and berating them for supporting state-supported preferences based on race and sex: A clear reference to MCRI.[26] Campbell spent less than $1,000,[27] as was the case with the Dashairya campaign.[28]

Debates

Granholm and Devos at an October 12 informal debate at the Detroit Economic Club
Granholm and Devos at an October 12 informal debate at the Detroit Economic Club

The DeVos and Granholm campaigns agreed to three televised debates and a single joint appearance. This agreement did not include any provision for participation by third-party candidates.[29] Granholm and DeVos appeared together October 12 at the Detroit Economic Club in which each candidate delivered their job plans, which was described as a debate at the event itself, even if it wasn't officially designated as such.[30]

WKAR-TV debate

The first debate occurred on October 2 at WKAR-TV in East Lansing.[31] Both candidates spent the hour trading charges and countercharges. Detroit News pollster Ed Sarpolus indicated that there was no clear winner in the debate, but Bill Rustem, senior vice president of the nonpartisan policy firm Public Sector Consultants in Lansing, favored Granholm.[32] The consensus of pundits Bill Ballenger, George Bullard, Kathy Barks Hoffman and Rick Albin and capital correspondent Tim Skubick, speaking on the October 6 WKAR-television program Off the Record,[33] was that both DeVos and Granholm emerged losers, losing 2 and 4 percentage points' support after the event. No major gaffes or zingers came out in the debate. Some of the positions were made clear on embryonic stem cell research [34] and abortion.[35] No major gaffes came out in the debate, but one minor zinger was made by Granholm about DeVos' investment in Alterra, a chain of nursing homes which sexually abused and neglected its patients.[36][37]

WOOD-TV debate

The second was October 10 at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids. DeVos was more aggressive than before, declaring that Granholm had lied about him having a controlling stake in Alterra Health Care, an elder-care company that suppressed information about the abuse of residents by its employees.[38] According to SEC filings, DeVos and his investment partners jointly owned 40% of Alterra stock totalling $173 million.[39] The chairman of Alterra's board, while a close associate of DeVos, nevertheless maintains that DeVos had no part of running the company himself.[40]

DeVos also asserted that he had convinced President Bush to set a date to meet with the three major Michigan auto companies. Granholm responded that she didn't believe that was true. DeVos admitted after the debate that he misspoke; the President agreed to have a meeting at some point after the election, but did not confirm a date.[41] On October 24, two weeks after this debate was held, a mid-November date was set for the meeting.[42]

WXYZ-TV debate

The third televised debate was October 16 at WXYZ-TV in Southfield. Unlike the previous debates, this one had an invited studio audience of 30 undecided voters, some of whom asked questions to the participating candidates. Like the two previous debates, only two of the five candidates were admitted.[43][44] Granholm and DeVos sparred on various issues including college tuition, Canadian trash, business taxes, President Bush and negative ads,[45] while Creswell supporters picketed outside.[46][47][48][49]

During the opening statements of the third debate, Gov. Granholm attacked DeVos for using pictures of dead children as a campaign tool against her. However, it was later revealed that DeVos was not the person using the pictures, but supporters of him, who were cheering for him outside of the debate studio.

CMN-TV (of Troy) debate

On October 18 CMN-TV in Troy broadcast an additional debate.[citation needed] This debate was not covered by the agreement between the DeVos and Granholm campaigns.[29] It was the only televised debate to which all gubernatorial candidates were invited. It also was only the only televised debate in which the majority of gubernatorial candidates participated. This debate included Libertarian Gregory Creswell, Green Douglas Campbell, and U.S. Taxpayer Candidate Bhagwan Dashairya.[50][51][52]

Predictions

More information Source, Ranking ...
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[53] Tossup November 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal Ball[54] Lean D November 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political Report[55] Likely D November 2, 2006
Real Clear Politics[56] Lean D November 6, 2006
Close

Polling

DeVos, buoyed by the political ads he ran, led in the polls for most of the late spring and early summer. DeVos' lead eroded when Granholm started running ads; meanwhile, Granholm built up a lead as voters found out more about the candidates culminating in the three debates, and as political fortunes soured for Republicans across the country due to a massive backlash against then president George W. Bush and fatigue over the continuing War in Iraq.[57]

More information Source, Date ...
Source Date Granholm (D) DeVos (R) Creswell (L) Campbell (G) Dashairya (T)
EPIC-MRA[58] Nov 6, 2006 49% 42%
Strategic Vision[59] Nov 6, 2006 52% 42%
Mason-Dixon[60] Nov 5, 2006 52% 38% 0–2% 0–2% 0–2%
Survey USA[61] Nov 5, 2006 51% 45% 2% 1% 1%
Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll[62] Nov 5, 2006 54% 41%
EPIC-MRA[63] Nov 3, 2006 49% 42%
EPIC-MRA[64] Nov 2, 2006 52% 43%
Strategic Vision[65] Nov 2, 2006 50% 42%
EPIC-MRA[66] Oct 31, 2006 52% 42%
Zogby/WSJ[67] Oct 31, 2006 51.6% 42.7% 0–5.7% 0–5.7% 0–5.7%
EPIC-MRA[68] Oct 27, 2006 48% 43% 1% 1%
Research 2000[69] Oct 25, 2006 50% 40%
Survey USA[70] Oct 25, 2006 52% 45% 1% 1%
Rasmussen[71] Oct 25, 2006 53% 42%
Strategic Vision[72] Oct 24, 2006 47% 43%
Zogby/WSJ[67] Oct 19, 2006 50.6% 44.1%
Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll[73] Oct 15, 2006 49% 41%
EPIC-MRA[74](raw data)[permanent dead link] Oct 13, 2006 51% 42% 2%
Survey USA[75] Oct 9, 2006 50% 45% 1% 1% 1%
Rasmussen[76] Oct 8, 2006 49% 42%
EPIC-MRA[77] Oct 5, 2006 46% 40% 1% 1%
Zogby/WSJ[67] Sept 28, 2006 49.9% 40.8%
Strategic Vision[78] Sept 20, 2006 47% 46%
Survey USA[79] Sept 18, 2006 47% 47% 1% 2% 1%
EPIC-MRA[80] September 14, 2006 50% 42%
Zogby/WSJ[81] September 11, 2006 49.4% 44.0%
Rasmussen[82] September 7, 2006 46% 48%
Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll[83] September 3, 2006 46% 44%
Strategic Vision[84] August 29, 2006 48% 43%
Zogby/WSJ[81] August 28, 2006 50.8% 43.6%
EPIC-MRA[85] August 23, 2006 49% 42% 3%
Survey USA[86] August 22, 2006 47% 47%
Rasmussen[87] August 16, 2006 47% 46%
EPIC-MRA[88] August 16, 2006 50% 47%
Survey USA[89] August 8, 2006 42% 50% 6%
Rasmussen[90] August 1, 2006 42% 48%
Strategic Vision[91] July 27, 2006 44% 48%
EPIC-MRA[92] July 26, 2006 47% 44%
Zogby/WSJ[67] July 24, 2006 50.5% 44.4%
Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll[93] July 15, 2006 42% 47%
Zogby/WSJ[67] June 21, 2006 48.1% 46.2%
EPIC-MRA[94] June 21, 2006 44% 46%
Strategic Vision[95] June 21, 2006 41% 48%
Rasmussen[96] June 14, 2006 44% 42%
EPIC-MRA[97] June 12, 2006 40% 48%
Strategic Vision[98] May 24, 2006 42% 45%
EPIC-MRA[99] May 11, 2006 45% 46%
MRG of Lansing[100] May 1–9, 2006 43% 44%
Rasmussen[101] May 5, 2006 44% 43%
Strategic Vision[102] April 21, 2006 43% 42%
EPIC-MRA[103] April 11, 2006 43% 43%
Rasmussen[104] March 27, 2006 44% 44%
MRG of Lansing[105] March 22, 2006 43% 41%
Strategic Vision[106] March 15, 2006 50% 33%
EPIC-MRA[107] March 9, 2006 51% 41%
Rasmussen[108] Feb 14, 2006 44% 43%
EPIC-MRA[109] Feb 12, 2006 53% 36%
Strategic Vision[110] Feb 3, 2006 48% 34%
Rasmussen[111] Jan 20, 2006 49% 38%
Strategic Vision[112] Dec 22, 2005 46% 35%
Rasmussen[113] Dec 2, 2005 48% 36%
EPIC-MRA[114] Nov 29, 2005 58% 35%
Strategic Vision[115] Nov 21, 2005 44% 33%
EPIC-MRA[116] Oct 25, 2005 53% 30%
Strategic Vision[117] Oct 25, 2005 46% 35%
Strategic Vision[118] Sept 29, 2005 47% 33%
Close

Results

More information Party, Candidate ...
2006 Michigan gubernatorial election[119]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jennifer Granholm (incumbent) 2,142,513 56.36% +4.95%
Republican Dick DeVos 1,608,086 42.30% −5.09%
Libertarian Greg Creswell 23,524 0.62%
Green Douglas Campbell 20,009 0.53% −0.27%
Constitution Bhagwan Dashairya 7,087 0.19% −0.20%
Write-in 37 0.00% 0.00%
Majority 534,427 14.06% +10.04%
Turnout 3,801,256
Democratic hold Swing
Close

By county

More information County, Jennifer Granholm Democratic ...
County Jennifer Granholm
Democratic		 Dick DeVos
Republican		 Various candidates
Other parties		 Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Alcona 2,793 51.1% 2,583 47.3% 88 1.6% 210 3.8% 5,464
Alger 2,285 60.7% 1,422 37.8% 59 1.6% 863 22.9% 3,766
Allegan 19,586 43.8% 24,571 55.0% 558 1.3% -4,985 -11.2% 44,715
Alpena 7,187 59.7% 4,689 39.0% 154 1.3% 2,498 20.7% 12,030
Antrim 5,103 44.8% 6,115 53.7% 170 1.5% -1,012 -8.9% 11,388
Arenac 3,737 56.2% 2,805 42.2% 102 1.6% 932 14.0% 6,644
Baraga 1,952 60.4% 1,220 37.8% 59 1.8% 732 22.6% 3,231
Barry 12,086 47.8% 12,826 50.7% 391 1.6% -740 -2.9% 25,306
Bay 28,286 60.9% 17,502 37.7% 678 1.4% 10,784 23.2% 46,466
Benzie 4,352 52.8% 3,764 45.6% 131 1.6% 588 7.2% 8,247
Berrien 24,606 46.5% 27,588 52.2% 703 1.3% -2,982 -5.7% 52,897
Branch 6,901 48.0% 7,248 50.4% 234 1.7% -347 -2.4% 14,383
Calhoun 26,674 56.6% 19,725 41.9% 692 1.5% 6,949 14.7% 47,094
Cass 8,302 50.3% 8,994 48.4% 221 1.3% 308 1.9% 16,520
Charlevoix 5,237 47.1% 5,621 50.5% 268 2.5% -384 -3.4% 11,126
Cheboygan 5,457 47.2% 5,891 51.0% 212 1.8% -434 -3.8% 11,560
Chippewa 7,463 56.5% 5,564 42.1% 184 1.4% 1,899 14.4% 13,211
Clare 6,068 51.7% 5,456 46.5% 219 1.9% 612 5.2% 11,743
Clinton 17,528 54.2% 14,459 44.7% 375 1.2% 3,069 9.5% 32,362
Crawford 2,932 50.5% 2,765 47.6% 106 1.8% 167 2.9% 5,802
Delta 8,792 58.8% 5,973 40.0% 182 1.2% 2,819 18.8% 14,947
Dickinson 5,251 53.8% 4,372 44.8% 145 1.5% 879 9.0% 9,768
Eaton 26,611 57.6% 18,977 41.1% 573 1.2% 7,634 16.5% 46,161
Emmet 6,401 45.5% 7,442 52.9% 225 1.7% -1,041 -7.4% 14,071
Genesee 107,848 65.8% 54,089 33.0% 2,041 1.2% 53,759 32.8% 163,978
Gladwin 5,588 51.9% 4,962 46.1% 211 2.0% 626 5.8% 10,761
Gogebic 3,821 62.0% 2,216 36.0% 124 2.1% 1,605 26.0% 6,161
Grand Traverse 17,416 47.5% 18,711 51.0% 558 1.5% -1,295 -3.5% 36,685
Gratiot 7,548 54.4% 6,156 44.4% 173 1.2% 1,392 10.0% 13,877
Hillsdale 6,408 40.8% 9,005 57.4% 281 1.8% -2,597 -16.6% 15,694
Houghton 6,497 54.3% 5,275 44.1% 200 1.6% 1,222 10.2% 11,972
Huron 7,002 49.2% 7,037 49.5% 182 1.3% -35 -0.3% 14,221
Ingham 69,820 66.4% 34,037 32.4% 1,228 1.2% 35,783 34.0% 105,085
Ionia 11,700 52.1% 10,470 46.6% 286 1.2% 1,230 5.5% 22,456
Iosco 6,043 53.9% 5,006 44.6% 172 1.5% 1,037 9.3% 11,221
Iron 2,843 58.8% 1,914 39.6% 81 1.7% 929 19.2% 4,838
Isabella 10,676 56.5% 7,916 41.9% 295 1.6% 2,760 14.6% 18,887
Jackson 28,450 50.1% 27,536 48.5% 842 1.4% 914 1.6% 56,828
Kalamazoo 56,044 59.5% 36,942 39.2% 1,218 1.3% 19,102 20.3% 94,204
Kalkaska 2,945 44.0% 3,614 54.1% 127 1.9% -669 -10.1% 6,686
Kent 109,940 45.7% 128,471 53.4% 2,371 1.0% -18,531 -7.7% 240,782
Keweenaw 632 54.4% 507 43.7% 22 1.9% 125 10.7% 1,161
Lake 2,228 49.3% 2,203 48.7% 89 2.0% 25 0.6% 4,520
Lapeer 16,580 45.8% 18,951 52.3% 686 1.9% -2,371 -6.5% 36,271
Leelanau 6,212 51.4% 5,708 47.2% 161 1.2% 504 4.2% 12,081
Lenawee 16,295 47.1% 17,665 51.1% 633 1.8% -1,367 -4.0% 34,590
Livingston 32,406 41.6% 44,495 57.1% 1,087 1.4% -12,089 -15.5% 77,988
Luce 1,495 64.7% 789 34.1% 28 1.2% 706 30.6% 2,312
Mackinac 2,879 52.5% 2,540 46.3% 64 1.2% 339 6.2% 5,483
Macomb 164,515 52.2% 145,968 46.3% 4,950 1.5% 18,547 5.9% 315,433
Manistee 5,765 54.4% 4,672 44.1% 162 1.5% 1,093 10.3% 10,599
Marquette 16,341 67.0% 7,773 31.9% 291 1.2% 8,568 35.1% 24,405
Mason 6,173 50.5% 5,913 48.4% 141 1.2% 260 2.1% 12,227
Mecosta 7,045 47.7% 7,547 51.1% 187 1.3% -502 -3.4% 14,779
Menominee 4,114 53.7% 3,397 44.3% 157 2.1% 717 9.4% 7,668
Midland 17,218 49.5% 17,007 48.9% 526 1.5% 211 0.6% 34,751
Missaukee 2,211 35.6% 3,902 62.9% 89 1.5% -1,691 -27.3% 6,202
Monroe 29,975 53.9% 24,828 44.6% 824 1.5% 5,147 9.3% 55,627
Montcalm 11,967 53.3% 10,178 45.4% 297 1.3% 1,789 7.9% 22,442
Montmorency 2,128 46.2% 2,394 51.9% 89 2.0% -266 -5.7% 4,611
Muskegon 40,142 63.5% 22,403 35.5% 622 1.0% 17,739 28.0% 63,167
Newaygo 8,932 47.0% 9,847 51.8% 227 1.2% -915 -4.8% 19,006
Oakland 275,757 54.0% 227,708 44.6% 6,863 1.3% 48,049 9.4% 510,328
Oceana 5,413 52.2% 4,835 46.6% 125 1.2% 578 5.6% 10,373
Ogemaw 4,561 51.8% 4,109 46.6% 143 1.6% 452 5.2% 8,813
Ontonagon 1,782 56.6% 1,318 41.9% 45 1.4% 464 14.7% 3,148
Osceola 3,884 41.7% 5,274 56.7% 146 1.5% -1,390 -15.0% 9,304
Oscoda 1,638 46.1% 1,850 52.1% 65 1.8% -212 -6.0% 3,553
Otsego 4,465 43.4% 5,644 54.9% 168 1.6% -1,179 -11.5% 10,277
Ottawa 37,055 33.9% 71,220 65.1% 1,076 1.0% -34,165 -31.2% 109,351
Presque Isle 3,515 55.1% 2,775 43.5% 91 1.4% 740 11.6% 6,381
Roscommon 6,139 52.7% 5,294 45.4% 223 1.9% 845 7.3% 11,656
Saginaw 49,567 61.0% 30,702 37.8% 981 1.3% 18,865 23.2% 81,250
St. Clair 30,369 48.5% 31,170 49.8% 1,096 1.8% -801 -1.3% 62,635
St. Joseph 8,818 46.2% 9,972 52.3% 285 1.5% -1,154 -6.1% 19,075
Sanilac 6,897 42.0% 9,290 56.5% 243 1.6% -2,393 -14.5% 16,430
Schoolcraft 1,973 57.6% 1,395 40.7% 58 1.8% 578 16.9% 3,426
Shiawassee 16,682 56.6% 12,357 41.9% 445 1.5% 4,325 14.7% 29,484
Tuscola 11,634 51.5% 10,592 46.9% 351 1.6% 1,042 4.6% 22,577
Van Buren 14,582 55.3% 11,403 43.2% 384 1.5% 3,179 12.1% 26,369
Washtenaw 91,219 68.0% 41,080 30.6% 1,841 1.3% 50,139 37.4% 134,140
Wayne 459,558 71.6% 175,037 27.3% 7,370 1.1% 284,521 44.3% 641,965
Wexford 5,573 45.6% 6,448 52.8% 192 1.6% -875 -7.2% 12,213
Totals2,142,51356.4%1,608,08642.3%50,5671.3%534,42714.1%3,801,256
Close

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

External links

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