1932 Michigan gubernatorial election

The 1932 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. In a rematch of the previous election, Democratic nominee William Comstock defeated incumbent Republican Wilber M. Brucker with 54.92% of the vote. Comstock was finally elected governor after his fourth consecutive nomination by the Democratic Party.

Primary election Michigan held primary elections on September 13, 1932.

Republican party Incumbent governor Wilber M. Brucker won renomination against divided opposition. Candidates Orla A. Bailey, farmer from Shiawassee County Wilber M. Brucker, incumbent governor William H. McKeighan, mayor of Flint James C. Quinlan, attorney from Grand Rapids George W. Welsh, former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan

Results

Democratic party For the fourth consecutive election, the Democratic party nominated William Comstock for governor.

Candidates Claude S. Carney, attorney from Kalamazoo William Comstock, Democratic nominee for governor in 1926, 1928, and 1930 Patrick H. O'Brien, former judge

Results Democratic primary

General election

Candidates Major party candidates William Comstock, Democratic Wilber M. Brucker, Republican Other candidates John Panzer, Socialist William Reynolds, Communist Charles Elwood Holmes, Prohibition Robert Fraser, Socialist Labor Al Renner, Proletarian Anthony Bergman, Liberty

Results

Results by county This election broke several long streaks of Republican dominance in various counties. In particular, Dickinson County and Lake County voted Demcoratic for the first time ever. Additionally, despite having never voted previously Democratic since its organization in 1891, Dickinson County would continue to vote Democratic in every subsequent gubernatorial election until 1964. This would also be the last time until the 1970s and 1980s that a number of counties voted Democratic. In particular, all of the following counties would not vote Democratic again until 1986: Berrien, Branch, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Midland, Montcalm, Oceana, Otsego, and St. Joseph. County William ComstockDemocratic Wilber M. BruckerRepublican John PanzerSocialist William ReynoldsCommunist Charles Elwood HolmesProhibition All OthersVarious Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # % # %Alcona82446.66%89250.51%462.60%00.00%30.17%10.06%-68-3.85%1,766Alger2,03456.37%1,38838.47%451.25%1343.71%30.08%40.11%64617.90%3,608Allegan6,32642.71%8,31456.13%1130.76%180.12%320.22%90.06%-1,988-13.42%14,812Alpena3,97057.54%2,82540.95%891.29%40.06%80.12%30.04%1,14516.60%6,899Antrim1,62540.18%2,30757.05%942.32%40.10%90.22%50.12%-682-16.86%4,044Arenac1,95855.45%1,50242.54%491.39%100.28%70.20%50.14%45612.91%3,531Baraga2,00049.84%1,88246.90%80.20%1172.92%10.02%50.12%1182.94%4,013Barry4,21046.04%4,80552.54%880.96%10.01%330.36%80.09%-595-6.51%9,145Bay14,93060.73%9,35238.04%2811.14%30.01%100.04%70.03%5,57822.69%24,583Benzie1,34543.65%1,64553.39%561.82%90.29%60.19%200.65%-300-9.74%3,081Berrien17,94455.66%13,92343.19%2650.82%280.09%470.15%300.09%4,02112.47%32,237Branch5,40852.14%4,81146.38%820.79%10.01%640.62%70.07%5975.76%10,373Calhoun16,16449.51%15,90548.72%4841.48%250.08%530.16%140.04%2590.79%32,645Cass4,60749.82%4,48148.45%1091.18%80.09%270.29%160.17%1261.36%9,248Charlevoix2,17241.78%2,80653.97%2033.90%20.04%50.10%110.21%-634-12.19%5,199Cheboygan3,36958.64%2,33840.70%230.40%70.12%50.09%30.05%1,03117.95%5,745Chippewa4,02242.63%5,27955.95%430.46%680.72%120.13%110.12%-1,257-13.32%9,435Clare1,81055.03%1,41242.93%581.76%30.09%40.12%20.06%39812.10%3,289Clinton4,85950.11%4,79349.43%260.27%00.00%170.18%20.02%660.68%9,697Crawford79360.81%49838.19%100.77%10.08%20.15%00.00%29522.62%1,304Delta6,85457.82%4,64739.20%2882.43%580.49%20.02%60.05%2,20718.62%11,855Dickinson6,69856.86%4,79040.66%2071.76%690.59%70.06%90.08%1,90816.20%11,780Eaton6,75151.84%5,97545.88%2271.74%30.02%500.38%160.12%7765.96%13,022Emmet2,93647.30%3,04649.07%1993.21%00.00%170.27%90.14%-110-1.77%6,207Genesee39,18158.91%26,16139.33%9321.40%1030.15%680.10%640.10%13,02019.58%66,509Gladwin1,58951.83%1,43246.71%361.17%30.10%20.07%40.13%1575.12%3,066Gogebic4,82644.22%5,61151.42%1010.93%3513.22%120.11%120.11%-785-7.19%10,913Grand Traverse3,64449.62%3,60849.13%690.94%70.10%110.15%50.07%360.49%7,344Gratiot6,23155.05%4,95443.77%710.63%50.04%510.45%70.06%1,27711.28%11,319Hillsdale5,59449.11%5,69249.97%450.40%200.18%370.32%20.02%-98-0.86%11,390Houghton8,06239.53%11,86158.15%870.43%3381.66%220.11%270.13%-3,799-18.63%20,397Huron5,62149.07%5,69849.74%1070.93%70.06%150.13%70.06%-77-0.67%11,455Ingham22,49950.95%21,04447.65%4951.12%220.05%630.14%380.09%1,4553.29%44,161Ionia8,37956.42%6,26742.20%1571.06%00.00%380.26%100.07%2,11214.22%14,851Iosco1,48346.74%1,62451.18%521.64%60.19%40.13%40.13%-141-4.44%3,173Iron3,60245.76%3,94850.15%340.43%2733.47%60.08%90.11%-346-4.40%7,872Isabella4,27249.94%4,19949.08%420.49%40.05%340.40%40.05%730.85%8,555Jackson17,77653.14%15,10345.15%3531.06%990.30%620.19%600.18%2,6737.99%33,453Kalamazoo13,45840.91%18,71256.88%4151.26%1540.47%1170.36%410.12%-5,254-15.97%32,897Kalkaska54338.84%75554.01%876.22%00.00%110.79%20.14%-212-15.16%1,398Kent44,64152.94%38,06645.14%1,0981.30%2660.32%960.11%1550.18%6,5757.80%84,322Keweenaw53428.34%1,33971.07%10.05%80.42%10.05%10.05%-805-42.73%1,884Lake1,15751.58%1,04446.54%251.11%170.76%00.00%00.00%1135.04%2,243Lapeer4,34447.40%4,72251.53%610.67%80.09%240.26%50.05%-378-4.12%9,164Leelanau1,55148.08%1,65351.24%140.43%30.09%40.12%10.03%-102-3.16%3,226Lenawee10,50149.82%10,45849.61%780.37%20.01%300.14%100.05%430.20%21,079Livingston4,85452.20%4,36346.92%550.59%10.01%240.26%10.01%4915.28%9,298Luce83638.12%1,31760.05%110.50%231.05%40.18%20.09%-481-21.93%2,193Mackinac2,40259.41%1,62140.09%150.37%10.02%10.02%30.07%78119.32%4,043Macomb16,73165.30%8,41732.85%2891.13%1250.49%310.12%270.11%8,31432.45%25,620Manistee4,35554.99%3,32341.96%1862.35%260.33%200.25%100.13%1,03213.03%7,920Marquette7,06141.69%9,47155.92%1330.79%2371.40%170.10%180.11%-2,410-14.23%16,937Mason3,69151.93%3,20945.15%1462.05%410.58%150.21%50.07%4826.78%7,107Mecosta3,05746.69%3,39851.90%480.73%50.08%150.23%240.37%-341-5.21%6,547Menominee5,63761.40%3,40737.11%1061.15%220.24%50.05%40.04%2,23024.29%9,181Midland4,08855.79%3,17143.27%530.72%00.00%100.14%60.08%91712.51%7,328Missaukee1,18843.17%1,52655.45%190.69%20.07%150.55%20.07%-338-12.28%2,752Monroe12,11761.97%7,25737.11%1250.64%210.11%230.12%110.06%4,86024.85%19,554Montcalm5,44148.82%5,31547.69%3332.99%10.01%430.39%130.12%1261.13%11,146Montmorency96561.98%55935.90%291.86%20.13%10.06%10.06%40626.08%1,557Muskegon14,09854.16%11,37343.69%2961.14%2090.80%310.12%250.10%2,72510.47%26,032Newaygo3,35748.79%3,38949.25%1051.53%110.16%150.22%40.06%-32-0.47%6,881Oakland37,58355.90%28,35942.18%9511.41%1990.30%720.11%650.10%9,22413.72%67,229Oceana3,07656.54%2,28842.06%390.72%70.13%210.39%90.17%78814.49%5,440Ogemaw1,51448.81%1,53949.61%351.13%20.06%100.32%20.06%-25-0.81%3,102Ontonagon2,22045.39%2,32447.52%320.65%3006.13%50.10%100.20%-104-2.13%4,891Osceola2,24842.14%3,04357.04%290.54%50.09%100.19%00.00%-795-14.90%5,335Oscoda26235.17%47864.16%10.13%00.00%40.54%00.00%-216-28.99%745Otsego1,30653.88%1,01741.96%984.04%00.00%10.04%20.08%28911.92%2,424Ottawa8,76444.80%10,46853.51%2851.46%140.07%240.12%60.03%-1,704-8.71%19,561Presque Isle2,36963.19%1,32535.34%421.12%40.11%40.11%50.13%1,04427.85%3,749Roscommon81259.66%51537.84%241.76%40.29%30.22%30.22%29721.82%1,361Saginaw23,16856.27%17,38842.23%4971.21%430.10%440.11%300.07%5,78014.04%41,170Sanilac4,11637.03%6,86161.72%1060.95%20.02%290.26%20.02%-2,745-24.69%11,116Schoolcraft1,63448.26%1,67549.47%651.92%10.03%60.18%50.15%-41-1.21%3,386Shiawassee7,50453.20%6,41445.47%1270.90%40.03%490.35%80.06%1,0907.73%14,106St. Clair13,36348.44%14,01250.80%1810.66%70.03%190.07%20.01%-649-2.35%27,584St. Joseph6,26749.75%6,16948.98%1160.92%10.01%380.30%50.04%980.78%12,596Tuscola4,91344.46%6,03954.65%710.64%50.05%180.16%50.05%-1,126-10.19%11,051Van Buren6,70847.11%7,28851.18%2051.44%90.06%260.18%40.03%-580-4.07%14,240Washtenaw13,84848.32%14,29249.87%4251.48%580.20%220.08%160.06%-444-1.55%28,661Wayne319,98561.59%187,18336.03%7,3291.41%4,2410.82%2090.04%6010.12%132,80225.56%519,548Wexford3,03745.45%3,57553.50%480.72%40.06%150.22%30.04%-538-8.05%6,682Total887,67254.92%696,93543.12%20,1081.24%7,9060.49%2,0310.13%1,6100.10%190,73711.80%1,616,262

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Alger Alpena Arenac Baraga Bay Berrien Branch Calhoun Cass Cheboygan Clare Clinton Crawford Delta Dickinson Eaton Genesee Gladwin Grand Traverse Gratiot Ingham Ionia Isabella Jackson Kent Lake Lenawee Livingston Mackinac Manistee Mason Menominee Midland Montcalm Montmorency Muskegon Oakland Oceana Otsego Presque Isle Roscommon Saginaw Shiawassee St. Joseph

References