The 1998 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998, 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 Geoffrey Fieger, a lawyer who had represented the assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian. As of , this was the last time Genesee County and Washtenaw County voted for the Republican gubernatorial candidate.

Although in 1992 Michigan voters passed a ballot measure limiting governors to two lifetime terms in office, it was not retroactive and counted only towards people taking office in or after 1993. As Engler had first took office in 1991, his first term thus did not count towards it and he was allowed to run for a third term.

Republican primary Candidates Gary Artinian John Engler, incumbent governor

Campaign Engler, a two-term incumbent, faced token opposition in the Republican primary, winning re-nomination with almost 90 percent of the vote. Following lieutenant governor Connie Binsfeld's decision to not seek a third term, State Senate Majority Leader Dick Posthumus received the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Geoffrey Fieger, attorney known for representing Jack Kevorkian Larry Owen, former Mayor of East Lansing Doug Ross

Candidates Early in the race, Owen was considered the front runner. But due to Fieger's notoriety and personal wealth, he surpassed his opponents. He ended up spending almost $6 million of his own money in the race. Fieger won a close race, taking 41 percent of the vote. State Rep. Jim Agee, after securing the support from the Michigan Education Association was picked by Fieger to be his running mate, over Fieger's initial preferred choice state Rep. Candace Curtis.

Results

General election Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JohnEngler (R) GeoffreyFieger (D) UndecidedEPIC/MRASeptember 29 – October 1, 1998600 (LV)± 3.7%54%22%24%Mitchell Research& Communications, Inc.September 21–23, 1998400 (RV)± 5.5%61%24%15%Mitchell Research& Communication Inc.September 10–13, 1998400 (RV)± 5.0%60%21%19%EPIC/MRAAugust 20–24, 1998600 (A)± 4.0%55%31%14%EPIC/MRAAugust 6, 1998 (A)± 4.0%53%33%24%

Results

Results by county County John EnglerRepublican Geoffrey FiegerDemocratic ScatteringWrite-in Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Alcona2,95169.22%1,31230.78%00.00%1,63938.45%4,263Alger1,79456.92%1,35843.08%00.00%43613.83%3,152Allegan24,14177.76%6,89622.23%40.01%17,22555.53%31,021Alpena7,26765.75%3,78534.24%10.01%3,48231.50%11,053Antrim5,74868.52%2,64131.48%00.00%3,10737.04%8,389Arenac3,17958.98%2,21041.00%10.02%96917.98%5,390Baraga1,33853.63%1,15746.37%00.00%1817.25%2,495Barry13,14871.43%5,25928.57%00.00%7,88942.86%18,407Bay23,34360.83%15,01739.14%120.03%8,32621.70%38,372Benzie3,72662.81%2,20637.19%00.00%1,52025.62%5,932Berrien30,38073.47%10,97126.53%00.00%19,40946.94%41,351Branch7,62370.32%3,21629.67%10.01%4,40740.65%10,840Calhoun25,95567.20%12,66132.78%50.01%13,29434.42%38,621Cass9,17772.75%3,43827.25%00.00%5,73945.49%12,615Charlevoix6,29069.26%2,79230.74%00.00%3,49838.52%9,082Cheboygan6,03667.74%2,87532.26%00.00%3,16135.47%8,911Chippewa6,61361.27%4,18038.73%00.00%2,43322.54%10,793Clare5,64961.34%3,56138.66%00.00%2,08822.67%9,210Clinton17,69673.81%6,22225.95%560.23%11,47447.86%23,974Crawford3,05162.49%1,83137.51%00.00%1,22024.99%4,882Delta7,41059.33%5,08040.67%00.00%2,33018.65%12,490Dickinson6,18362.96%3,63837.04%00.00%2,54525.91%9,821Eaton24,77868.41%11,43631.57%80.02%13,34236.83%36,222Emmet7,76573.79%2,75826.21%00.00%5,00747.58%10,523Genesee69,79951.17%66,60848.83%100.01%3,1912.34%136,417Gladwin5,57363.69%3,17736.31%00.00%2,39627.38%8,750Gogebic3,02050.97%2,90549.03%00.00%1151.94%5,925Grand Traverse20,46271.63%8,10128.36%20.01%12,36143.27%28,565Gratiot7,99871.14%3,24528.86%00.00%4,75342.28%11,243Hillsdale9,02773.05%3,32526.91%50.04%5,70246.14%12,357Houghton6,44360.92%4,13139.06%20.02%2,31221.86%10,576Huron9,26476.14%2,90223.85%10.01%6,36252.29%12,167Ingham53,90560.13%35,58439.70%1510.17%18,32120.44%89,640Ionia12,32471.15%4,99628.85%00.00%7,32842.31%17,320Iosco6,45766.49%3,25233.49%20.02%3,20533.00%9,711Iron2,71554.33%2,28245.67%00.00%4338.67%4,997Isabella9,42363.74%5,36136.26%00.00%4,06227.48%14,784Jackson31,33067.29%15,22932.71%20.00%16,10134.58%46,561Kalamazoo46,44367.58%22,27532.41%60.01%24,16835.17%68,724Kalkaska3,15563.11%1,84436.89%00.00%1,31126.23%4,999Kent133,12076.58%40,70923.42%80.00%92,41153.16%173,837Keweenaw56656.26%44043.74%00.00%12612.52%1,006Lake1,83253.49%1,59346.51%00.00%2396.98%3,425Lapeer17,38265.62%9,10634.38%10.00%8,27631.24%26,489Leelanau6,57770.86%2,70529.14%00.00%3,87241.72%9,282Lenawee18,13763.35%10,49436.65%00.00%7,64326.69%28,631Livingston37,45873.82%13,28326.18%20.00%24,17547.64%50,743Luce1,13057.98%81942.02%00.00%31115.96%1,949Mackinac6,05464.70%1,66635.30%00.00%1,38829.41%4,720Macomb166,92067.48%80,43832.52%180.01%86,48234.96%247,376Manistee5,49362.85%3,24737.15%00.00%2,24625.70%8,740Marquette11,15751.61%10,46048.39%00.00%6973.22%21,617Mason6,39166.10%3,27733.90%00.00%3,11432.21%9,668Mecosta7,06567.21%3,44632.78%10.01%3,61934.43%10,512Menominee4,57965.70%2,39134.30%00.00%2,18831.39%6,970Midland20,73773.58%7,44526.42%00.00%13,29247.16%28,182Missaukee3,62972.78%1,35727.22%00.00%2,27245.57%4,986Monroe26,69064.95%14,40135.05%00.00%12,28929.91%41,091Montcalm11,06968.64%5,05831.36%00.00%6,01137.27%16,127Montmorency2,49964.99%1,34635.01%00.00%1,15329.99%3,845Muskegon29,66060.54%19,33139.46%20.00%10,32921.08%48,993Newaygo9,77669.00%4,39231.00%00.00%5,38438.00%14,168Oakland264,55166.32%134,21533.65%1200.03%130,33632.67%398,886Oceana5,23167.49%2,52032.51%00.00%2,71134.98%7,751Ogemaw4,79662.33%2,89937.67%00.00%1,89724.65%7,695Ontonagon1,55351.84%1,44248.13%10.03%1113.70%2,996Osceola4,91866.46%2,48233.54%00.00%2,43632.92%7,400Oscoda2,01764.90%1,09135.10%00.00%92629.79%3,108Otsego5,52571.57%2,19528.43%00.00%3,33043.13%7,720Ottawa67,05485.40%11,45114.58%90.01%55,60370.82%78,514Presque Isle3,87167.09%1,89932.91%00.00%1,97234.18%5,770Roscommon6,32063.66%3,60836.34%00.00%2,71227.32%9,928Saginaw43,76663.44%25,21336.55%90.01%18,55326.89%68,988Sanilac9,94171.15%4,02328.79%80.06%5,91842.36%13,972Schoolcraft1,59455.52%1,27744.48%00.00%31711.04%2,871Shiawassee16,46566.31%8,34733.62%180.07%8,11832.69%24,830St. Clair32,29964.18%18,02535.82%00.00%14,27428.36%50,324St. Joseph11,02674.86%3,70325.14%00.00%7,32349.72%14,729Tuscola12,07466.70%6,02733.30%00.00%6,04733.41%18,101Van Buren13,71567.85%6,49932.15%00.00%7,21635.70%20,214Washtenaw53,22757.03%40,07842.94%320.03%13,14914.09%93,337Wayne243,23542.85%324,35157.14%170.00%-81,116-14.29%567,603Wexford6,34767.06%3,10832.84%100.11%3,23934.22%9,465Total1,883,00562.20%1,143,57437.78%5250.02%739,43124.43%3,027,104

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Genesee

Notes

Partisan clients

References