The 1994 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the state of Michigan. Incumbent Governor John Engler, a member of the Republican Party, was re-elected over Democratic Party nominee and Congressman Howard Wolpe. The voter turnout was 45.5%.

Republican primary Candidates John Engler, incumbent Governor

Campaign Engler, who was narrowly elected in 1990, ran unopposed in the Republican primary and retained Lt. Gov. Connie Binsfeld as his running mate.

Results

Democratic primary Candidates H. Lynn Jondahl, State Representative from Okemos Larry Owen, former mayor of East Lansing and former member of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees Debbie Stabenow, State Senator from Lansing Howard Wolpe, former U.S. Representative from Lansing

Campaign All four candidates were notably from Lansing or its immediate surroundings.

Wolpe, who had served 7 terms in Congress before retiring in 1993, won a 4-way battle for the Democratic nomination, taking 35 percent of the vote. He bested his closest rival, state Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who had 30 percent. Wolpe eventually chose Stabenow as his running mate.

Results

General election Polling

Source Date Engler (R) Wolpe (D) WDIV-TV Oct. 30, 1994 56% 30% Detroit News Oct. 16, 1994 54% 29% WJBK-TV Sep. 16, 1994 50% 39%

Results

Results by county County John EnglerRepublican Howard WolpeDemocratic ScatteringWrite-in Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Alcona3,06071.15%1,23928.81%20.05%1,82142.34%4,301Alger2,06061.25%1,30138.69%20.06%75922.57%3,363Allegan22,24275.65%7,15224.32%90.03%15,09051.32%29,403Alpena7,04465.31%3,74134.69%00.00%3,30330.63%10,785Antrim5,81474.61%1,97825.39%00.00%3,83649.23%7,792Arenac3,32664.72%1,81235.26%10.02%1,51429.46%5,139Baraga1,56858.33%1,12041.67%00.00%44816.67%2,688Barry12,93371.44%5,17028.56%10.01%7,76342.88%18,104Bay24,24460.27%15,98239.73%20.00%8,26220.54%40,228Benzie3,55868.20%1,65831.78%10.02%1,90036.42%5,217Berrien30,90671.71%12,14428.18%510.12%18,76243.53%43,101Branch8,62971.51%3,43828.49%00.00%5,19143.02%12,067Calhoun26,38363.06%15,43236.88%260.06%10,95126.17%41,841Cass9,10971.28%3,67028.72%00.00%5,43942.56%12,779Charlevoix6,36671.71%2,51228.29%00.00%3,85443.41%8,878Cheboygan5,82470.81%2,40129.19%00.00%3,42341.62%8,225Chippewa6,61564.32%3,66935.67%10.01%2,94628.64%10,285Clare5,89566.10%3,02233.89%10.01%2,87332.22%8,918Clinton16,32368.82%7,37131.08%230.10%8,95237.75%23,717Crawford3,23573.21%1,18426.79%00.00%2,05146.41%4,419Delta7,78858.19%5,59541.81%00.00%2,19316.39%13,383Dickinson5,78361.39%3,63738.61%00.00%2,14622.78%9,420Eaton24,13064.64%13,17735.30%230.06%10,95329.34%37,330Emmet7,97274.72%2,69525.26%20.02%5,27749.46%10,669Genesee73,75949.96%73,87350.04%40.00%-114-0.08%147,636Gladwin5,52268.51%2,53831.49%00.00%2,98437.02%8,060Gogebic3,23151.80%3,00148.11%60.10%2303.69%6,238Grand Traverse20,00374.59%6,77425.26%400.15%13,22949.33%26,817Gratiot7,93169.61%3,46230.38%10.01%4,46939.22%11,394Hillsdale9,33575.72%2,99424.28%00.00%6,34151.43%12,329Houghton6,93963.05%4,06536.94%10.01%2,87426.12%11,005Huron9,26873.77%3,29426.22%20.02%5,97447.55%12,564Ingham53,08854.79%43,79045.19%240.02%9,2989.60%96,902Ionia11,91170.10%5,08029.90%00.00%6,83140.20%16,991Iosco7,16369.86%3,09030.14%00.00%4,07339.72%10,253Iron3,10359.16%2,14240.84%00.00%96118.32%5,245Isabella10,03064.72%5,46735.28%00.00%4,56329.44%15,497Jackson32,28270.01%13,82929.99%00.00%18,45340.02%46,111Kalamazoo44,15860.30%29,07239.70%00.00%15,08620.60%73,230Kalkaska3,33871.97%1,29827.99%20.04%2,04043.98%4,638Kent121,98874.36%42,02725.62%340.02%79,96148.74%164,049Keweenaw60762.13%36637.46%40.41%24124.67%977Lake2,06862.27%1,25237.70%10.03%81624.57%3,321Lapeer18,82571.60%7,46828.40%00.00%11,35743.19%26,293Leelanau6,06372.86%2,25527.10%40.05%3,80845.76%8,322Lenawee17,02963.21%9,91236.79%00.00%7,11726.42%26,941Livingston35,58376.46%10,95123.53%30.01%24,63252.93%46,537Luce1,12458.09%81141.91%00.00%31316.18%1,935Mackinac2,94763.72%1,678936.28%00.00%1,26927.44%4,625Macomb173,00369.89%74,47330.09%630.03%98,53039.80%247,539Manistee5,46566.46%2,75833.54%00.00%2,70732.92%8,223Marquette11,33153.27%9,93846.73%00.00%1,3936.55%21,269Mason7,31270.58%3,04829.42%00.00%4,26441.16%10,360Mecosta6,60067.62%3,15732.35%30.03%3,44335.28%9,760Menominee4,72163.92%2,66536.08%00.00%2,05627.84%7,386Midland20,57970.30%8,68729.68%60.02%11,89240.63%29,272Missaukee3,71477.17%1,09922.83%00.00%2,61554.33%4,813Monroe24,21863.15%14,12636.84%40.01%10,09226.32%38,348Montcalm11,14970.76%4,60729.24%00.00%6,54241.52%15,756Montmorency2,62172.32%1,00327.68%00.00%1,61844.65%3,624Muskegon28,91159.80%19,43040.19%50.01%9,48119.61%48,346Newaygo9,30771.23%3,75528.74%40.03%5,55242.49%13,006Oakland269,51166.50%135,00433.31%7730.19%134,50733.19%405,288Oceana5,15868.95%2,32031.01%30.04%2,83837.94%7,481Ogemaw4,66168.09%2,18231.88%20.03%2,47936.22%6,845Ontonagon2,03258.88%1,41841.09%10.03%61417.79%3,451Osceola5,08771.47%2,03028.52%10.01%3,05742.95%7,118Oscoda2,26675.21%74724.79%00.00%1,51950.41%3,013Otsego5,21574.87%1,74925.11%10.01%3,46649.76%6,965Ottawa58,32182.85%12,00117.05%710.10%46,32065.80%70,393Presque Isle3,97971.23%1,60728.77%00.00%2,37242.46%5,586Roscommon6,46168.69%2,94531.31%00.00%3,51637.38%9,406Saginaw43,54559.80%29,16940.06%1050.14%14,37619.74%72,819Sanilac10,42574.80%3,51325.20%00.00%6,91249.59%13,938Schoolcraft1,68957.55%1,24642.45%00.00%44315.09%2,935Shiawassee16,44767.28%7,97132.61%280.11%8,47634.67%24,446St. Clair34,07870.47%14,23329.43%450.09%19,84541.04%48,356St. Joseph11,07372.93%4,10427.03%60.04%6,96945.90%15,183Tuscola12,18867.52%5,86232.48%00.00%6,32635.05%18,050Van Buren13,89467.76%6,61232.24%00.00%7,28235.51%20,506Washtenaw49,77953.58%43,06646.35%670.07%6,7137.23%92,912Wayne269,50142.96%357,79857.03%690.01%-88,297-14.07%627,368Wexford6,75872.71%2,52627.18%100.11%4,23245.53%9,294Total1,899,10161.48%1,188,43838.47%1,5380.05%710,66323.01%3,089,077

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Alger Arenac Bay Chippewa Clare Delta Dickinson Gladwin Gogebic Ingham Iron Lake Marquette Menominee Muskegon Ogemaw Saginaw Schoolcraft Shiawassee Washtenaw

References