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2002 Michigan gubernatorial election

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Field	Value
election_name	2002 Michigan gubernatorial election
country	Michigan
type	presidential
ongoing	no
turnout	3,177,565
previous_election	1998 Michigan gubernatorial election
previous_year	1998
next_election	2006 Michigan gubernatorial election
next_year	2006
election_date	November 5, 2002
image1	Image:Jennifer Granholm 5.jpg
nominee1	Jennifer Granholm
party1	Democratic Party (United States)
running_mate1	John Cherry
popular_vote1	1,631,276
percentage1	51.42%
image2	Image:Dick Posthumus (cropped).jpeg
image_size	150x150px
nominee2	Dick Posthumus
party2	Republican Party (United States)
running_mate2	Loren Bennett
popular_vote2	1,504,755
percentage2	47.40%
map_image
map_size	300px
map_caption	Granholm:
Posthumus:
title	Governor
before_election	John Engler
before_party	Republican Party (United States)
after_election	Jennifer Granholm
after_party	Democratic Party (United States)

Posthumus:

The 2002 Michigan gubernatorial election was one of the 36 United States gubernatorial elections held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican Governor John Engler, after serving three terms, was ineligible to run again. A 1992 constitutional amendment limited the governor to two terms, even if they are nonconsecutive, effective with the 1994 election. Engler's lieutenant governor Dick Posthumus, also a Republican, ran in his place. Jennifer Granholm, then attorney general of Michigan, ran on the Democratic Party ticket. Douglas Campbell ran on the Green Party ticket, and Joseph M. Pilchak ran on the Constitution Party ticket.

Granholm won with 51% of the vote, followed by Posthumus' 47%, Campbell with 1%, and Pilchak with less than 1%. This made Granholm the first female Michigan governor and the first Democratic governor of Michigan in 12 years.{{cite news | access-date = 15 February 2009

Republican primary

Candidates

Dick Posthumus, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Joe Schwarz, state senator from Battle Creek

With incumbent governor John Engler ineligible to seek re-election for a fourth term, Posthumus, Michigan's lieutenant governor, was considered the overwhelming favorite for the Republican nomination. Following his primary win, Posthumus selected state Sen. Loren Bennett as his running mate.

Results

Primary results by county:

| | | | | ]]

Jim Moody created a candidate committee and filed a Statement of Organization, but did not submit sufficient ballot-access petition signatures to be included on the 2002 primary ballot.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Attorney General and former Corporation Counsel for Wayne County (1994–98)

Eliminated in primary

David Bonior, U.S. representative from Mount Clemens and House Minority Whip
James Blanchard, former governor of Michigan (1983–91) and U.S. Ambassador to Canada

The Democratic Party was a competitive, three-way race with between state Attorney General Jennifer Granholm, former Gov. James Blanchard (who was upset by Engler in 1990) and former House Minority Whip David Bonior.

Granholm was accused in the 2002 Democratic primary of several allegations of cronyism while working as Wayne County Corporation Counsel. Her husband, Daniel Mulhern, had received several contracts for his leadership training company shortly after Granholm left her position as a Wayne County Corporation Counsel in 1998. He received nearly $300,000 worth of contracts, despite being the highest bidder for one of those contracts. Opponents criticized Granholm supporters for engaging in cronyism and giving contracts to her husband immediately after leaving county employment. Granholm and her supporters responded that no ethical violations occurred and that Mulhern had earned the contracts on his own merits.

Granholm was the first woman ever nominated by a major party to be Michigan governor. Following her primary victory, Granholm chose state Sen. John Cherry as her running mate.

Results

Primary results by county:

| | | | | | | | ]]

General election

Candidates

Douglas Campbell, Ferndale engineer and staffer for the Ralph Nader 2000 presidential campaign (Green)
Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Attorney General (Democratic)
Joseph Pilchak, Capac resident and candidate for U.S. representative in 2000 (Taxpayers')
Dick Posthumus, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (Republican)

The Green Party of Michigan nominated Douglas Campbell. Campbell, a registered professional engineer and published Atheist from Ferndale, joined the Green party upon learning of its existence in 2000, and was the Wayne-Oakland-Macomb county campaign coordinator for Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader, 2000. During the 2002 campaign he claimed he was beaten, arrested and jailed (in Brighton, Michigan) for attempting to participate in a gubernatorial debate from which he was excluded, at the time being the only candidate who was not either a Republican or Democrat.

Capac resident Joseph Pilchak was nominated by convention to be the U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate for Governor of Michigan. He was the U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate for U.S. representative from Michigan 10th District in 2000. The Michigan US Taxpayers' Party is affiliated with the United States Constitution Party, but Michigan election law does not provide a mechanism for changing the name of a political party.

Campaign

Posthumus, who had been previous governor Engler's lieutenant governor, ran his general election campaign promising to maintain the Engler legacy.

Granholm promised change, running as a tough crime fighter and consumer advocate. Granholm criticized the Engler administration for coming into office with a budget surplus and leaving with a deficit.

Kilpatrick memo controversy

In the biggest event of the election, Posthumus released a memo from Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick asking for more appointments for blacks and jobs for Detroit contractors in a Granholm administration. Posthumus pointed to the memo as an example of Democratic Party corruption. Granholm, however, denied ever receiving the memo and said she wouldn't have agreed to it anyway. She said Posthumus was trying to be racially divisive.

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report		October 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball		November 4, 2002

Polling

Poll source	Date(s)
administered	Sample
size	Margin
of error	Jennifer
Granholm (D)	Dick
Posthumus (R)	Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA	November 1–3, 2002	730 (LV)	± 3.7%	52%	46%	3%

Results

Results by county

County	Granholm	Votes	Posthumus	Votes	Others	Votes
Alcona	47.20%	2,165	52.04%	2,387	0.76%	35
Alger	52.59%	1,855	46.02%	1,623	1.39%	49
Allegan	36.66%	12,772	62.28%	21,695	1.06%	369
Alpena	56.95%	6,391	42.07%	4,722	0.98%	110
Antrim	39.67%	3,752	58.96%	5,576	1.36%	129
Arenac	51.14%	2,821	47.34%	2,611	1.52%	84
Baraga	50.93%	1,263	47.18%	1,170	1.89%	47
Barry	40.15%	8,136	58.93%	11,983	0.92%	187
Bay	53.29%	21,190	45.27%	18,001	1.44%	571
Benzie	45.83%	3,036	52.53%	3,480	1.64%	109
Berrien	41.85%	17,094	57.24%	23,278	0.91%	373
Branch	45.04%	5,001	54.14%	6,012	0.82%	91
Calhoun	52.59%	21,298	46.40%	18,789	1.01%	409
Cass	45.10%	5,741	53.77%	6,845	1.13%	143
Charlevoix	39.89%	3,836	58.31%	5,608	1.80%	173
Cheboygan	43.29%	4,107	55.53%	5,268	1.18%	112
Chippewa	49.81%	5,428	49.16%	5,357	1.03%	113
Clare	50.05%	4,719	48.56%	4,578	1.39%	131
Clinton	46.39%	12,070	52.61%	13,711	1.08%	279
Crawford	45.65%	2,233	52.45%	2,566	1.90%	93
Delta	50.37%	6,862	48.37%	6,590	1.26%	172
Dickinson	46.47%	3,882	52.17%	4,358	1.35%	113
Eaton	52.24%	20,395	46.74%	18,247	1.02%	398
Emmet	37.16%	4,330	61.02%	7,111	1.82%	212
Genesee	60.12%	80,687	38.61%	51,828	1.27%	1,700
Gladwin	48.17%	4,350	50.59%	4,569	1.24%	112
Gogebic	57.90%	3,292	40.59%	2,308	1.51%	86
Grand Traverse	40.92%	12,330	57.69%	17,382	1.39%	418
Gratiot	44.94%	5,203	54.00%	6,252	1.06%	122
Hillsdale	38.45%	4,778	60.33%	7,498	1.22%	152
Houghton	48.56%	5,026	49.46%	5,119	1.98%	205
Huron	39.41%	4,783	59.48%	7,218	1.11%	134
Ingham	60.95%	55,571	37.74%	34,414	1.31%	1,192
Ionia	43.25%	7,919	55.88%	10,232	0.87%	160
Iosco	50.32%	5,031	48.17%	4,817	1.51%	151
Iron	53.51%	2,429	44.44%	2,017	2.05%	93
Isabella	49.50%	7,534	48.80%	7,428	1.70%	259
Jackson	46.92%	22,036	51.83%	24,344	1.25%	585
Kalamazoo	52.29%	39,090	46.54%	34,795	1.17%	873
Kalkaska	42.02%	2,234	56.62%	3,010	1.36%	72
Kent	38.53%	74,823	60.63%	117,755	0.84%	1,634
Keweenaw	45.99%	482	52.00%	545	2.01%	21
Lake	52.24%	1,904	45.84%	1,671	1.92%	70
Lapeer	39.40%	11,384	58.98%	17,040	1.62%	467
Leelanau	42.95%	4,241	55.71%	5,501	1.34%	133
Lenawee	47.13%	13,314	51.86%	14,650	1.01%	287
Livingston	37.09%	22,006	61.86%	36,699	1.05%	625
Luce	52.26%	1,016	45.73%	889	2.01%	39
Mackinac	47.28%	2,206	51.97%	2,425	0.75%	35
Macomb	47.16%	121,065	51.64%	132,583	1.20%	3,082
Manistee	49.31%	4,389	49.45%	4,401	1.24%	110
Marquette	57.69%	12,779	40.21%	8,906	2.10%	465
Mason	45.58%	4,802	53.09%	5,594	1.33%	140
Mecosta	44.28%	5,020	54.66%	6,197	1.06%	121
Menominee	47.41%	3,335	50.83%	3,576	1.76%	124
Midland	41.31%	12,342	57.43%	17,156	1.26%	376
Missaukee	32.92%	1,724	66.61%	3,462	0.97%	51
Monroe	47.75%	19,845	51.17%	21,266	1.08%	447
Montcalm	44.18%	7,763	55.14%	9,689	0.68%	119
Montmorency	42.94%	1,722	55.64%	2,231	1.42%	57
Muskegon	56.49%	29,884	42.72%	22,600	0.79%	420
Newaygo	40.84%	6,268	58.06%	8,910	1.10%	169
Oakland	50.52%	220,082	48.30%	210,414	1.18%	5,115
Oceana	45.18%	3,886	53.91%	4,637	0.91%	78
Ogemaw	49.54%	3,727	49.04%	3,689	1.42%	107
Ontonagon	48.38%	1,301	49.61%	1,334	2.01%	54
Osceola	39.97%	2,973	59.13%	4,399	0.90%	67
Oscoda	41.85%	1,242	56.23%	1,669	1.92%	57
Otsego	39.49%	3,346	58.80%	4,982	1.71%	145
Ottawa	28.11%	24,654	71.22%	62,464	0.67%	583
Presque Isle	48.15%	2,717	50.72%	2,862	1.13%	64
Roscommon	47.85%	4,909	50.91%	5,223	1.24%	128
Saginaw	52.65%	38,051	46.27%	33,440	1.08%	786
St. Clair	45.44%	23,813	52.76%	27,647	1.80%	943
St. Joseph	40.87%	6,341	58.10%	9,014	1.03%	159
Sanilac	37.39%	5,265	60.94%	8,581	1.67%	235
Schoolcraft	52.86%	1,701	45.62%	1,468	1.52%	49
Shiawassee	47.05%	11,843	51.53%	12,971	1.42%	359
Tuscola	42.13%	8,097	56.32%	10,824	1.55%	298
Van Buren	49.15%	10,518	49.93%	10,685	0.92%	197
Washtenaw	61.41%	65,995	36.90%	39,659	1.69%	1,820
Wayne	67.81%	384,121	31.05%	175,899	1.14%	6,478
Wexford	42.28%	4,230	56.37%	5,640	1.35%	135

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Alger (largest city: Munising)
Alpena (largest city: Alpena)
Arenac (largest city: Standish)
Baraga (Largest city: Baraga)
Bay (largest city: Bay City)
Calhoun (largest city: Battle Creek)
Chippewa (Largest city: Sault Ste. Marie)
Clare (largest city: Clare)
Delta (largest city: Escanaba)
Eaton (largest city: Charlotte)
Genesee (largest city: Flint)
Gogebic (largest city: Ironwood)
Ingham (largest city: Lansing)
Iosco (largest city: East Tawas)
Iron (largest city: Iron River)
Isabella (largest city: Mount Pleasant)
Kalamazoo (Largest city: Kalamazoo)
Lake (largest village: Baldwin)
Luce (Largest city: Newberry)
Marquette (largest city: Marquette)
Muskegon (largest city: Muskegon)
Oakland (Largest city: Troy)
Ogemaw (largest city: West Branch)
Saginaw (largest city: Saginaw
Schoolcraft (largest city: Manistique)
St. Clair (largest city: Port Huron)
Washtenaw (largest city: Ann Arbor)

By congressional district

Posthumus won 10 of 15 congressional districts, including one won by a Democrat.

District	Posthumus	Granholm	Representative
		50.1%	48.4%	Bart Stupak
59.4%	39.8%		Pete Hoekstra
60.0%	39.1%		Vern Ehlers
54.2%	44.6%		Dave Camp
40.7%	58.0%		Dale Kildee
51.8%	47.1%		Fred Upton
50.2%	48.7%		Nick Smith
50.9%	47.9%		Mike Rogers
49.8%	49.1%		Joe Knollenberg
56.8%	41.8%		David Bonior
	Candice Miller
52.3%	46.5%		Thaddeus McCotter
39.7%	59.0%		Sander Levin
20.7%	78.2%		Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
18.3%	80.8%		John Conyers Jr.
40.1%	58.3%		John Dingell

Notes

References

The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/pikiel-pinchot.html
The Constitution Party is still on the Michigan ballot as the United States Taxpayers' Party in Michigan. Although the party changed its name in 1999, the Michigan Bureau of Elections does not provide any mechanism for a political party changing its name.
[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2002/pages/governor/ CNN.com Election 2002 – Governor]. [[CNN]].
[http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/election/results/02GEN/02000000.html 2002 Official Michigan General Election Results – Governor 4 Year Term (1) Position] {{webarchive. link. (2014-01-13)
(September 5, 2001). "It's (finally) official: Posthumus enters race for governor". The Michigan Daily.
(August 23, 2002). "Mich. Candidate Chooses Running Mate". The Edwardsville Intelligencer.
"Archived copy".
(August 2019)
Selweski, Chad. (January 13, 2002). "Granholm supporters helped her husband secure Wayne County contracts". Macomb Daily.
[https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2002-08-07-primaries-usat_x.htm Longest-serving member of House wins fight of career]. ''[[USA Today]]''. Accessed 15 February 2009.
Greens, US. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120619205850/http://www.gp.org/speakers/detail-speakers.php?ID=40 "Green Party Speakers Bureau"]. ''gp.org'' (website).
(2006-10-09). "Bio: Douglas Campbell".
Campbell, Douglas. (2002-05-21). "Thinking Politically (Letter from the Brighton Jail)". Synthesis/Regeneration 29 Fall 2002).
The ''Constitution Party'' was founded as the ''U.S. Taxpayers' Party'' in 1992. The national party's name was changed to the Constitution Party in 1999.
U.S. Taxpayers and Constitution Party of Michigan. [http://ustaxpayersandconstitutionpartymi.com/ "Gubernatorial Debate – Part II Bhagwan (Bob) Dashairya Enters Michigan Governor's Race "] {{webarchive. link. (2007-02-17 . ''ustaxpayersandconstitutionpartymi.com'' (website).)
[https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/2002-11-06-michigan-gov_x.htm Granholm becomes Michigan's first female governor]. ''[[USA Today]]''. ([[Associated Press]]). Accessed 15 February 2009.
(October 31, 2002). "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 {{!}} The Cook Political Report".
(November 4, 2002). "Governors Races".
[https://www.surveyusa.com/2002Elec.html SurveyUSA]
"2002 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/05/2002".

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