The 2018 Michigan gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Michigan, concurrently with the election of Michigan's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Republican Governor Rick Snyder and Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley were term-limited and were unable to seek a third term in office. The filing deadline was April 24, 2018. The Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties chose their nominees in a partisan primary on August 7, 2018. 2018 was the first year the Libertarian Party held a gubernatorial primary alongside the two other major parties in the state of Michigan. The Working Class Party, U.S. Taxpayers Party, Green Party and Natural Law Party chose their nominees at state party conventions.
The race was not as close as expected, with Democrat Gretchen Whitmer being elected with 53.3% of the vote to Republican Bill Schuette's 43.8%. Schuette performed best in more sparsely populated areas, while Whitmer was supported by large margins in large and medium cities, such as Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Lansing. Whitmer also performed well in the Detroit suburbs. Whitmer carried former Republican stronghold Kent County (location of her native Grand Rapids), the first Democratic candidate to do so since James Blanchard's landslide 1986 reelection. Democrats swept the statewide races by also holding onto the Senate seat that was up for re-election, and picking up the positions of secretary of state and attorney general. They also captured every state university trustee seat that was up for election as well as the State Board of Education.
Republican primary Candidates Nominated Bill Schuette, Attorney General of Michigan
Eliminated in primary Brian Calley, Lieutenant Governor Patrick Colbeck, state senator Jim Hines, physician and president of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations
Declined David Agema, former Republican National Committeeman and former state representative (endorsed Colbeck) Jase Bolger, former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Larry C. Inman, state representative Ruth Johnson, Michigan Secretary of State and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2006 (running for state senate) Arlan Meekhof, Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate Candice Miller, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner and former U.S. representative (endorsed Schuette)
Endorsements
Debates + Hostnetwork Date Link(s) ParticipantsBillSchuettePatrickColbeckBrianCalleyJimHines WOOD-TV May 9, 2018 Invited Invited Invited Invited WDIV-TV June 28, 2018 Invited Invited Invited Invited
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BrianCalley PatrickColbeck JimHines BillSchuette Other UndecidedMitchell ResearchMitchell Research July 30, 2018 413 ± 5.0% 18% 9% 10% 40% – 23%EPIC-MRAEPIC-MRA July 21–22, 2018 1,045 ± 3.1% 24% 11% 8% 42% – 15%Emerson CollegeEmerson College July 19–21, 2018 202 ± 7.3% 13% 7% 9% 35% – 36%Marist CollegeMarist College July 15–19, 2018 337 ± 6.3% 26% 11% – 33% 1% 30%JMC AnalyticsJMC Analytics July 5–12, 2018 600 ± 4.0% 17% 10% 4% 25% – 45%Target-InsyghtTarget-Insyght June 24–26, 2018 400 ± 5.0% 16% 8% 4% 45% – 21%NMB Research (R-Better Jobs PAC)NMB Research (R-Better Jobs PAC) June 18–21, 2018 – – 23% – – 45% – 29%Public Opinion Strategies (R-Schuette)Public Opinion Strategies (R-Schuette) May 22–24, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 19% 6% 1% 42% – –Public Opinion Strategies (R-Schuette)Public Opinion Strategies (R-Schuette) April 29 – May 1, 2018 600 ± 4.0% 20% 6% 2% 42% – –Glengariff GroupGlengariff Group April 19–21, 2018 400 ± 4.9% 23% 4% 1% 36% 0%Evan Space 0% 34%Denno ResearchDenno Research April 2–3, 2018 500 ± 4.0% 13% 4% 1% 23% – 59%Strategic National (R)Strategic National (R) March 19–20, 2018 400 ± 4.9% 18% 7% 3% 27% – 45%Marketing Resource GroupMarketing Resource Group March 13–17, 2018 600 ± 4.0% 13% 2% 2% 29% – 54%Public Opinion Strategies (R-Schuette)Public Opinion Strategies (R-Schuette) February 10–13, 2018 800 ± 3.4% 15% 5% 2% 42% – –Strategic National (R)Strategic National (R) December 16–17, 2017 600 ± 4.0% 19% 5% 2% 30% – 44%Target-InsyghtTarget-Insyght November 1–6, 2017 400 ± 5.0% 14% <5% <5% 38% – –Mitchell ResearchMitchell Research September 21–24, 2017 400 ± 5.0% 13% – – 52% – 36%Marketing Resource GroupMarketing Resource Group September 13–18, 2017 216 ± 4.0% 13% 3% 3% 33% – 48%Target-InsyghtTarget-Insyght July 25–27, 2017 344 ± 5.4% 14% 4% 1% 42% – 39%Marketing Resource GroupMarketing Resource Group May 8–11, 2017 216 ± 4.0% 11% – 7% 32% – 51%
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BrianCalley JimHines ArlanMeekhof CandiceMiller BillSchuette UndecidedMitchell ResearchMitchell Research May 31, 2017 435 ± 4.7% 14% 1% – 21% 18% 46%Target-InsyghtTarget-Insyght February 2–4, 2016 400 ± 5% 11% – 3% 20% 21% 45%
Results
Democratic primary Candidates
Nominated Gretchen Whitmer, former Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney and former Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate
Eliminated in primary Abdul El-Sayed, former executive director of the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion Shri Thanedar, author and entrepreneur
Write-In Bill C. Cobbs, businessman
Declined John Austin, former president of the Michigan Board of Education Mark Bernstein, member of University of Michigan Board of Regents Mike Duggan, Mayor of Detroit Geoffrey Fieger, attorney and nominee for governor in 1998 Mark Hackel, Macomb County Executive Dan Kildee, U.S. representative Andy Levin, energy consultant and son of Congressman Sander Levin (ran for Congress in MI-9) Barbara McQuade, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Gary Peters, U.S. senator Matt Simoncini, CEO of Lear Corporation Bart Stupak, former U.S. representative
Endorsements
Debates + Hostnetwork Date ParticipantsAbdulEl-SayedShriThanedarGretchenWhitmer WOOD-TV June 20, 2018 Invited Invited Invited WDIV-TV July 19, 2018 Invited Invited Invited
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BillCobbs Abdul ShriThanedar GretchenWhitmer Other UndecidedEPIC-MRAEPIC-MRA July 21–22, 2018 1,054 ± 3.1% – 19% 22% 49% – 10%Change Research (D-El-Sayed)Change Research (D-El-Sayed) July 20–21, 2018 1,503 – – 27% 15% 33% – 24%Emerson CollegeEmerson College July 19–21, 2018 282 ± 6.4% – 12% 17% 39% – 31%Marist College July 15–19, 2018 442 ± 5.5% – 22% 27% 31% <1% 20%Target-Insyght June 24–26, 2018 400 ± 5.0% – 17% 19% 40% 2% 22%Glengariff GroupGlengariff Group April 20–22, 2018 400 ± 4.9% 3% 7% 30% 26% – 35%Denno ResearchDenno Research April 6–7, 2018 500 ± 4.0% 2% 2% 15% 17% – 63%Marketing Resource Group March 13–17, 2018 233 ± 6.4% 3% 10% 21% 18% – 48%Target-InsyghtTarget-Insyght March 6–8, 2018 500 ± 4.5% 4% 6% 20% 34% 3% 33%EPIC-MRA (D-Thanedar)EPIC-MRA (D-Thanedar) February 17–22, 2018 600 ± 4.0% 3% 8% 24% 34% – 31%Target-Insyght November 1–6, 2017 400 ± 5.0% 4% 13% 2% 45% 8% 28%Marketing Resource Group September 13–18, 2017 255 ± 4.0% 8% 4% 3% 27% – 58%
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MikeDuggan AbdulEl-Sayed GeoffreyFieger MarkHackel DanKildee AndyLevin ShriThanedar GretchenWhitmer UndecidedTarget-Insyght November 1–6, 2017 400 ± 5.0% 29% – – – – – – 43% – – – 28% – – – – 41% – – – – – – 19% – 42% –Target-Insyght February 2–4, 2016 400 ± 5% 20% – – 9% 12% – – 16% 43%Target-Insyght July 25, 2017 377 ± 5.4% – 4% 35% – – – 3% 35% –Marketing Resource Group May 8–11, 2017 255 ± 4.0% – 9% 26% – – – – 24% 41%
Results
Libertarian primary The Libertarian Party is one of three parties that have a primary in Michigan.
Candidates
Nominated Bill Gelineau
Eliminated in primary
John Tatar
Endorsements
Debates + Hostnetwork Date ParticipantsBillGelineauJohnTatar WOOD-TV July 15, 2018 Invited Invited WJBK-TV July 22, 2018 Invited Invited
Results
Green Convention The Green Party chose candidates for the 2018 ballot at its state convention on May 5, 2018, at the University of Michigan-Flint.
Candidates Declared and nominated Jennifer Kurland, president of the Redford Union School Board
U.S. Taxpayers Party
Candidates
Declared and nominated
Todd Schleiger
Natural Law Party
Candidates
Declared and nominated
Keith Butkovich
General election
Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political Report October 26, 2018The Washington Post November 5, 2018FiveThirtyEight November 5, 2018Rothenberg Political Report November 1, 2018Sabato's Crystal Ball November 5, 2018RealClearPolitics November 4, 2018Daily Kos November 5, 2018Fox News November 5, 2018Politico November 5, 2018Governing November 5, 2018
Endorsements
Polling