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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1970 United States Senate election in Michigan took place on November 3, 1970. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Philip Hart was re-elected to a third term in office over former First Lady of Michigan Lenore Romney.
George W. Romney was an early favorite for the Republican nomination. President Richard Nixon, who never had good relations with George Romney either personally or on policy grounds, and whom Romney had run against for President in 1968, promoted him for Senate to get Romney out of his cabinet. [2] [3] However, George came up with the idea of his wife Lenore running, and sprung this proposal on Lenore and the children at the end of 1969. [4] Lenore's professed no desire to run unless no other candidate could be found. [5] [1]
U.S. House Minority Leader Gerald Ford (from Grand Rapids) thought Lenore Romney could unite the state party's different factions, [5] but Governor William Milliken opposed her candidacy. [4] Some suspected that her Senate candidacy was just a stalking horse for keeping George's options open. [6] [7]
At a February 21, 1970 meeting of the Michigan Republican Party, convened to declare a "consensus" candidate, liberal U.S. Representative Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (who would be Hart’s successor after switching to the Democratic Party) and conservative State Senator Robert J. Huber joined Milliken in opposition, [6] blocking Lenore Romney from reaching the three-fourths majority required for the consensus declaration. [4] [5] [6]
On February 23, Lenore Romney formally entered the contest for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat. [8] George successfully pressured Milliken to endorse her, though this may have backfired when The Detroit News exposed the pressure campaign. [4] At the next party meeting, on March 7, Lenore gained the consensus candidate position, and talk of George running ended. [9] Riegle also ended his campaign.
In the ensuing primary, Romney's campaign emphasized her sex as a campaign theme, arguing, "Never before has the voice and understanding of a concerned woman been more needed." [10] Billboards featuring her face, captioned only "Lenore" and omitting any reference to political party, were common throughout the state. [10] She was considered photogenic but was so thin that she was sometimes described as "frail" or "waiflike." [5] [11] [10]
Romney issued a half-hour campaign film that featured endorsements from many national and state party leaders as well as from celebrities Bob Hope and Art Linkletter, and showcased her family and her concern for disadvantaged people. [5] [10] Huber, in contrast, emphasized his edge in political experience, derided her "motherly concern", and criticized the "bossism" of the Romney family. [10]
Romney called for the withdrawal of all American troops from Vietnam by the end of 1971 and characterized the Vietnam war as "disastrous." [12] She expressed concern over the Cambodian Incursion and proposed an end to congressional funding if Nixon did not abide by his pledge to withdraw from there by the end of the month. [12] On other issues, Romney sometimes took overly broad stances that appeared to come down on multiple sides. [13] The conservative wing of the party, which had never trusted her husband, had the same reaction to her. [14] The largely male press corps tended to deal with her in a paternalistic way, and she was often identified as "Mrs. George Romney" in stories and photo captions. [5] [15]
Initially heavily favored over Huber, her campaign failed to gain momentum and polls showed a close race; in response, she shifted her ads to focus more on her stands on issues. [10] In the August 4, 1970, primary, Lenore Romney won a narrow victory, with 52 percent of the vote compared to Huber's 48 percent. [13] [16]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lenore Romney | 277,086 | 51.31% | |
| Republican | Robert J. Huber | 262,938 | 48.69% | |
| Total votes | 540,024 | 100.00% | ||
In the general election, with diminished prestige, a divided party, and with campaign resources drained by the primary fight, Romney was behind incumbent Democrat Hart from the beginning. [5] [18] [13] Romney issued position papers and emphasized crime and social permissiveness, [18] advocated a national healthcare plan, and expressed opposition to environmental damage caused by industry. [4] She never made any personal attacks against Hart. [18] As the only woman running for the U.S. Senate that year, [19] she was a tireless campaigner, traveling around the state in a chartered Cessna and making as many as twelve stops a day. [5]
Nevertheless, the perception grew that she did not have any vision for what she would do as a senator and was only in the race because she was George Romney's wife. [5] In response, she said at one point, "I'm not a stand-in or a substitute for anyone." [14] [5] Her campaign material continued to just refer to "Lenore." [5] She also was negatively impacted, in both the primary and general election, by fallout from her husband's effort as HUD Secretary to enforce housing integration in Warren, Michigan. [2] [10] [20]
The Romney children campaigned for her, including Mitt, who took student leave to work as a driver and advance man at schools and county fairs during the summer. [5] [21] Together, Lenore and Mitt visited all 83 Michigan counties. [4] George was in Washington most of the time and did not publicly campaign for her until the campaign's final day. [5] [20]
Consistently far ahead in polls, Hart staged a low-key campaign with few public appearances; he mostly ignored her and sometimes acted condescendingly towards her in private. [4] [5] [20]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Philip Hart (incumbent) | 1,744,672 | 66.84% |  3.46 | |
| Republican | Lenore Romney | 858,438 | 32.89% |  2.46 | |
| Socialist Workers | Paul Ludien | 3,861 | 0.15% | 0.06 | |
| Socialist Labor | James Sim | 3,254 | 0.13% | 0.08 | |
| Total votes | 2,610,225 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
Hart handily won a third term with 67 percent of the vote to Romney's 33 percent. [5] Romney made an unusual election-night visit to congratulate Hart in person, and in saying "I hope all good things will be his," gave what the victor termed "the most graceful and really moving concession speech I've ever heard." [18]
In her election night remarks, Romney said, "I thought [running as a woman] would be an asset. It was disappointing to find that many people closed their minds just because I was a woman." [18] The following year, Romney published an article in Look magazine describing the openly dismissive reaction she had gotten from both men and women. [14] [5] She wrote that, "In factories, I encountered men in small groups, laughing, shouting, 'Get in the kitchen. George needs you there. What do you know about politics?'" [14] To a friend she wrote, "[I had no idea] how open and bare and wide my own vulnerability would be ... the body wounds are deep." [14] She told one of her children that she wished she had not run, and concluded that "It's the most humiliating thing I know of to run for office." [4]
Philip Aloysius Hart was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he served as a United States Senator from Michigan from 1959 until his death from cancer in Washington, D.C. in 1976. He was known as the "Conscience of the Senate". He is the namesake of the Hart Senate Office Building.
George Wilcken Romney was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and 3rd secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1969 to 1973. He was the father of Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and 2012 Republican presidential nominee who currently serves as United States senator from Utah; the husband of 1970 U.S. Senate candidate Lenore Romney; and the paternal grandfather of current Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel.
Willard Mitt Romney is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Utah since 2019. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in the 2012 election, losing to Barack Obama.
Dale Edward Kildee was an American politician who served as U.S. Representative of Michigan from 1977 to 2013. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. is an American politician, author, and businessman from Michigan. He served for five terms as a Representative and for three terms as a Senator in the U.S. Congress.
The 1994 United States Senate elections were held November 8, 1994, with the 33 seats of Class 1 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. The Republican Party took control of the Senate from the Democrats. Like for most other midterm elections, the opposition, this time being the Republicans, held the traditional advantage. The congressional Republicans campaigned against the early presidency of Bill Clinton, including his unsuccessful health care plan. The Republicans successfully defended all of their seats and won eight from the Democrats by defeating the incumbent Senators Harris Wofford (Pennsylvania) and Jim Sasser (Tennessee), in addition to picking up six open seats in Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Notably, since Sasser's defeat coincided with a Republican victory in the special election to replace Al Gore, Tennessee's Senate delegation switched from entirely Democratic to entirely Republican in a single election. That would not happen again until 2021, when the Democrats flipped Georgia's delegation in the state's regularly-scheduled and special Senate elections.
The Romney family is prominent in U.S. politics. Notable Romney family members include George W. Romney (1907–1995), the 43rd Governor of Michigan (1963–1969), and his son, Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney was 70th Governor of Massachusetts (2003–2007), Republican nominee for President of the United States in 2012, and is currently U.S. Senator for Utah. George W. Romney's father was Gaskell Romney (1871–1955), and his mother was Anna Amelia Pratt (1876–1926). Anna's grandfather was the renowned early Latter-day Saint apostle Parley Parker Pratt.
Lenore LaFount Romney was an American actress and political figure. The wife of businessman and politician George W. Romney, she was First Lady of Michigan from 1963 to 1969. She was the Republican Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1970 from Michigan. Her younger son, Mitt Romney, is a U.S. Senator from Utah, a former Governor of Massachusetts, and was the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.
Elly M. Peterson, was an American politician from Charlotte, Eaton County, Michigan.
The 1994 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy won re-election to his seventh term, defeating the Republican nominee, businessman Mitt Romney.
Ronna Eileen Romney is an American Republican politician and former radio talk show host.
George Romney ran for the 1968 Republican Party nomination in the 1968 United States presidential election.
The 1994 United States Senate election in Michigan was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Don Riegle decided to retire and not run for re-election. Republican Spencer Abraham won the open seat, becoming the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since 1972 and the first Republican gain of the Class I Senate seat from Charles E. Potter since 1952. As of 2023, this was the last time the Republicans won a U.S. Senate election in Michigan.
The 1976 United States Senate election in Michigan took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Philip Hart decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican turned Democrat Representative Donald Riegle won the open seat.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Voters chose 16 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
Harold Arundel Lafount was an American businessman who served on the Federal Radio Commission from 1927 to 1934. He was the father of Lenore Romney; the father-in-law of businessman and politician George W. Romney; and the maternal grandfather of businessman and politician Mitt Romney.
Helen Wallbank Milliken was an American women's rights activist, environmentalist, and former First Lady of Michigan. Milliken, the longest-lived First Lady in Michigan's history, served from 1969 to 1983 during the tenure of her husband, former Michigan Governor William Milliken. Milliken was known for her activism on behalf of many causes throughout her life. During the 1970s, she was one of Michigan's leading proponents of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Utah, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. The primaries took place on June 26.
Ronna McDaniel is an American politician and political strategist serving as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) since 2017. A member of the Republican Party and the Romney family, she was chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party from 2015 to 2017. Since McDaniel's election as chairwoman of the RNC, the Republican Party has had a net loss of seven governorships, three seats in the United States Senate, 19 seats in the House of Representatives, and the presidency. In December 2022, Axios wrote that McDaniel "has thus far failed to preside over a single positive election cycle."
Events from the year 1968 in Michigan.
