1940 Michigan gubernatorial election

The 1940 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Democratic nominee Murray Van Wagoner defeated incumbent Republican Luren Dickinson with 53.06% of the vote. This was the fifth of six consecutive gubernatorial elections in Michigan in which the incumbent party was defeated.

Primary election Michigan held primary elections on September 10, 1940.

Republican party Luren Dickinson became governor in 1939 upon the death of Frank Fitzgerald. Dickinson secured the nomination for a full term against divided opposition.

Candidates Ernest T. Conlon, former member of Michigan Senate Luren Dickinson, incumbent governor Miller Dunckel, Michigan State Treasurer Melville B. McPherson, member of Michigan State Board of Agriculture Thomas Read, Michigan Attorney General Charles Renaud O. L. Smith, lawyer and former prosecutor

Results

Democratic party State Highway commissioner Murray Van Wagoner easily won the Democratic nomination.

Candidates Eugene Van Antwerp, member of Detroit City Council Murray Van Wagoner, State Highway Commissioner

Results

General election

Candidates Major party candidates Murray Van Wagoner, Democratic Luren Dickinson, Republican Other candidates Seth Whitmore, Socialist Philip Raymond, Communist Ralph Naylor, Socialist Labor

Results

Results by county After this election, Crawford County and Oakland County would not vote Democratic again until 1986. County Murray Van WagonerDemocratic Luren DickinsonRepublican Seth WhitmoreSocialist Philip RaymondCommunist Ralph NaylorSocialist Labor Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # %Alcona90837.03%1,54162.85%30.12%00.00%00.00%-633-25.82%2,452Alger3,04466.55%1,48732.51%30.07%380.83%20.04%1,55734.04%4,574Allegan5,88033.74%11,52766.15%150.09%30.02%10.01%-5,647-32.41%17,426Alpena3,85846.42%4,44853.32%40.05%10.01%00.00%-590-7.10%8,311Antrim1,61636.51%2,80563.38%40.09%10.02%00.00%-1,189-26.86%4,426Arenac1,50340.07%2,23859.66%50.13%20.05%30.08%-735-19.59%3,751Baraga2,20947.84%2,38651.68%50.11%170.37%00.00%-177-3.83%4,617Barry3,48435.38%6,35064.48%110.11%10.01%20.02%-2,866-29.10%9,848Bay14,56150.65%14,15649.24%240.08%20.01%70.02%4051.41%28,750Benzie1,58343.42%2,05056.23%110.30%10.03%10.03%-467-12.81%3,646Berrien18,12547.34%20,07552.44%610.16%40.01%180.05%-1,950-5.09%38,283Branch4,47539.19%6,93160.69%100.09%30.03%10.01%-2,456-21.51%11,420Calhoun19,94149.75%19,96749.81%1290.32%340.08%130.03%-26-0.06%40,084Cass4,49141.31%6,36458.54%120.11%40.04%00.00%-1,873-17.23%10,871Charlevoix2,35642.05%3,22357.52%230.41%00.00%10.02%-867-15.47%5,603Cheboygan3,30951.19%3,14448.64%50.08%50.08%10.02%1652.55%6,464Chippewa5,52250.06%5,49249.79%60.05%100.09%10.01%300.27%11,031Clare1,36432.26%2,85567.53%60.14%30.07%00.00%-1,491-35.26%4,228Clinton3,26829.84%7,67270.06%90.08%00.00%10.01%-4,404-40.22%10,950Crawford82550.43%80749.33%40.24%00.00%00.00%181.10%1,636Delta8,97160.23%5,86239.36%300.20%290.19%20.01%3,10920.87%14,894Dickinson7,44355.33%5,96344.33%230.17%210.16%10.01%1,48011.00%13,451Eaton6,00938.74%9,46060.99%400.26%30.02%00.00%-3,451-22.25%15,512Emmet3,17645.84%3,74454.03%80.12%00.00%10.01%-568-8.20%6,929Genesee49,74857.05%37,17542.63%1730.20%890.10%120.01%12,57314.42%87,197Gladwin1,39935.06%2,58764.84%30.08%00.00%10.03%-1,188-29.77%3,990Gogebic9,05258.55%6,26140.50%520.34%890.58%70.05%2,79118.05%15,461Grand Traverse3,60741.82%5,01258.11%50.06%00.00%00.00%-1,405-16.29%8,625Gratiot4,22234.12%8,13165.72%180.15%20.02%00.00%-3,909-31.59%12,373Hillsdale3,96731.16%8,74568.70%120.09%20.02%40.03%-4,778-37.53%12,730Houghton11,80754.94%9,61744.75%120.06%490.23%50.02%2,19010.19%21,490Huron3,57527.54%9,39372.35%130.10%00.00%20.02%-5,818-44.81%12,983Ingham25,00343.92%31,65355.60%2300.40%160.03%260.05%-6,650-11.68%56,928Ionia5,81439.79%8,77260.04%240.16%00.00%10.01%-2,958-20.25%14,611Iosco1,48439.92%2,22859.94%40.11%10.03%00.00%-744-20.02%3,717Iron4,80151.43%4,48348.02%140.15%370.40%00.00%3183.41%9,335Isabella3,31234.45%6,28965.41%60.06%50.05%20.02%-2,977-30.96%9,615Jackson16,58243.16%21,74856.61%540.14%270.07%90.02%-5,166-13.45%38,420Kalamazoo18,89744.20%23,77355.60%550.13%160.04%150.04%-4,876-11.40%42,758Kalkaska84745.78%1,00054.05%30.16%00.00%00.00%-153-8.27%1,850Kent49,01948.95%50,65750.59%3670.37%640.06%250.02%-1,638-1.64%100,132Keweenaw1,06953.10%93646.50%10.05%60.30%10.05%1336.61%2,013Lake1,08645.25%1,31154.63%00.00%20.08%10.04%-225-9.38%2,400Lapeer3,71734.34%7,09665.55%100.09%00.00%20.02%-3,379-31.21%10,825Leelanau1,31737.31%2,21062.61%30.08%00.00%00.00%-893-25.30%3,530Lenawee8,93437.81%14,65762.03%280.12%50.02%50.02%-5,723-24.22%23,629Livingston3,82937.29%6,42762.59%120.12%00.00%10.01%-2,598-25.30%10,269Luce1,15645.00%1,40754.77%20.08%30.12%00.00%-251-9.77%2,569Mackinac2,16747.22%2,41352.58%80.17%00.00%10.02%-246-5.36%4,589Macomb22,25158.61%15,59841.09%640.17%360.09%130.03%6,65317.53%37,962Manistee4,43250.43%4,34249.40%130.15%10.01%10.01%901.02%8,789Marquette12,78860.02%8,47239.76%170.08%240.11%50.02%4,31620.26%21,306Mason4,09747.87%4,43451.81%170.20%80.09%20.02%-337-3.94%8,558Mecosta2,30134.07%4,44465.81%70.10%00.00%10.01%-2,143-31.73%6,753Menominee6,31957.56%4,62442.12%280.26%70.06%00.00%1,69515.44%10,978Midland3,98340.14%5,92359.69%150.15%20.02%00.00%-1,940-19.55%9,923Missaukee1,03232.35%2,15467.52%40.13%00.00%00.00%-1,122-35.17%3,190Monroe11,89251.59%11,13648.31%160.07%60.03%10.00%7563.28%23,051Montcalm4,36637.59%7,21662.12%330.28%10.01%00.00%-2,850-24.54%11,616Montmorency85244.31%1,06755.49%20.10%00.00%10.05%-215-11.18%1,923Muskegon20,04159.00%13,82140.69%810.24%240.07%30.01%6,22018.31%33,970Newaygo2,80835.03%5,19064.75%100.12%70.09%10.01%-2,382-29.72%8,016Oakland51,98054.61%42,88445.05%2100.22%600.06%560.06%9,0969.56%95,190Oceana2,75345.78%3,24653.98%100.17%20.03%20.03%-493-8.20%6,013Ogemaw1,36537.45%2,27562.41%50.14%00.00%00.00%-910-24.97%3,645Ontonagon3,08951.76%2,78946.73%60.10%831.39%10.02%3005.03%5,968Osceola1,73130.24%3,98969.69%40.07%00.00%00.00%-2,258-39.45%5,724Oscoda46744.06%59155.75%20.19%00.00%00.00%-124-11.70%1,060Otsego1,10746.26%1,28053.49%40.17%00.00%20.08%-173-7.23%2,393Ottawa8,77936.60%15,15063.17%330.14%90.04%130.05%-6,371-26.56%23,984Presque Isle2,72053.47%2,36046.39%60.12%00.00%10.02%3607.08%5,087Roscommon80339.00%1,24560.47%110.53%00.00%00.00%-442-21.47%2,059Saginaw24,17148.89%25,11950.81%1100.22%200.04%150.03%-948-1.92%49,435Sanilac2,70222.04%9,54077.83%130.11%20.02%10.01%-6,838-55.78%12,258Schoolcraft2,27653.91%1,93645.86%90.21%10.02%00.00%3408.05%4,222Shiawassee5,88438.19%9,48861.59%250.16%40.03%40.03%-3,604-23.39%15,406St. Clair12,77741.38%18,06858.51%290.09%10.00%50.02%-5,291-17.13%30,880St. Joseph5,24935.74%9,42064.15%130.09%20.01%10.01%-4,171-28.40%14,685Tuscola3,78728.57%9,44471.24%220.17%10.01%20.02%-5,657-42.68%13,256Van Buren6,03736.10%10,64763.67%240.14%110.07%40.02%-4,610-27.57%16,723Washtenaw15,34545.88%18,00053.82%820.25%120.04%80.02%-2,655-7.94%33,447Wayne459,32065.21%241,53534.29%1,6300.23%1,4670.21%3830.05%217,78530.92%704,335Wexford3,22945.68%3,82954.17%90.13%10.01%00.00%-600-8.49%7,068Total1,077,06553.06%945,78446.59%4,1240.20%2,3870.12%7020.03%131,2816.47%2,030,069

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Cheboygan Chippewa Crawford Genesee Iron Macomb Manistee Monroe Oakland Schoolcraft

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Baraga

Notes

References