Michigan gubernatorial election, 2002

Michigan gubernatorial election, 2002

1998 ← November 5, 2002 → 2006

Candidate Jennifer Granholm Dick Posthumus Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,631,276 1,504,755 Percentage 51.4% 47.4%

Governor before election John Engler Republican Elected Governor Jennifer Granholm Democratic

The Michigan gubernatorial election of 2002 was one of the 36 United States gubernatorial elections held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican John Engler, after serving three terms, had stepped down and was not running; his 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^[1] ran on the Constitution Party^[2] ticket.

John D. Cherry ran on the Democratic party ballot for lieutenant governor.

Granholm won with 51% of the vote, followed by Posthumus' 48%, Campbell with 1%, and Pilchak with less than 1%.^[3][4] This made Granholm the first female Michigan governor and the first Democratic governor of Michigan in 12 years.^[5]

Primaries

Republican Primary

Republican primary results[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Republican	Dick Posthumus	474,804	81.39%
	Republican	Joe Schwarz	108,581	18.61%
Totals			583,385	100.00%

Democratic Primary

Granholm defeated former Governor James Blanchard and House Democratic Whip David Bonior in the Democratic primary. Granholm was the first woman ever nominated by a major party to be Michigan governor.^[7]

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.^[8]

Democratic primary results[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Democratic	Jennifer Graholm	499,129	47.69%
	Democratic	David Bonior	292,958	27.99%
	Democratic	James Blanchard	254,586	24.32%
Totals			1,046,673	100.00%

Election campaign

Posthumus, who had been previous Governor Engler's Lieutenant Governor, ran his general election campaign promising to maintain the Engler legacy of lower taxes, more jobs and better schools.^[10]

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.^[10]

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.^[10]

Election results

Michigan gubernatorial election, 2002[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Jennifer Granholm	1,633,796	51.42%	+13.64%
	Republican	Dick Posthumus	1,506,104	47.40%	-14.81%
	Green	Douglas Campbell	25,236	0.79%
	Constitution	Joseph Pilchak	12,411	0.39%
	Write-ins		18	0.00%
Majority			127,692	4.02%	-20.41%
Turnout			3,177,565
	Democratic gain from Republican

References

1. ^ The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/pikiel-pinchot.html
2. ^ 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.
3. ^ CNN.com Election 2002 - Governor. CNN.
4. ^ 2002 Official Michigan General Election Results - Governor 4 Year Term (1) Position
5. ^ NICHOLE M. CHRISTIAN, JOHN H. CUSHMAN JR., SHERRI DAY, SAM DILLON, NEIL A. LEWIS, ROBERT PEAR, TERRY PRISTIN, PHILIP SHENON, JACQUES STEINBERG AND LESLIE WAYNE. Christian, Nichole M.; Cushman Jr, John H.; Day, Sherri; Dillon, Sam; Lewis, Neil A.; Pear, Robert; Pristin, Terry; Shenon, Philip et al. (7 November 2002). "THE 2002 ELECTIONS: MIDWEST; MICHIGAN". NYT. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E7DA1E3EF934A35752C1A9649C8B63. Retrieved 15 February 2009. 
6. ^ http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/02PRI/02000000.html
7. ^ Longest-serving member of House wins fight of career. USA Today. Accessed 15 February 2009.
8. ^ Selweski, Chad (January 13, 2002). "Granholm supporters helped her husband secure Wayne County contracts". Macomb Daily. Archived from the original on 2006-06-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20060629211416/http://204.176.34.196/macombdaily/article.asp?ID=2971927. Retrieved 2006-11-13. 
9. ^ http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/02PRI/02000000.html
10. ^ ^{a b c} Granholm becomes Michigan's first female governor. USA Today. (Associated Press). Accessed 15 February 2009.
11. ^ http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/election/results/02GEN/

External links

• 2002 Official Michigan General Candidate Listing
• 2002 Official Michigan Primary Election Results
• 2002 Official Michigan General Election Results