Politics of Michigan

Last updated
United States presidential election results for Michigan [1]
Year Republican  /  Whig Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 2,816,63649.73%2,736,53348.31%111,0171.96%
2020 2,649,86447.77%2,804,04550.55%93,2771.68%
2016 2,279,54347.25%2,268,83947.03%276,1605.72%
2012 2,115,25644.58%2,564,56954.04%65,4911.38%
2008 2,048,63940.89%2,872,57957.33%89,3881.78%
2004 2,313,74647.81%2,479,18351.23%46,3230.96%
2000 1,953,13946.14%2,170,41851.28%109,1542.58%
1996 1,481,21238.48%1,989,65351.69%377,9799.82%
1992 1,554,94036.38%1,871,18243.77%848,55119.85%
1988 1,965,48653.57%1,675,78345.67%27,8940.76%
1984 2,251,57159.23%1,529,63840.24%20,4490.54%
1980 1,915,22548.99%1,661,53242.50%332,9688.52%
1976 1,893,74251.83%1,696,71446.44%63,2931.73%
1972 1,961,72156.20%1,459,43541.81%69,1691.98%
1968 1,370,66541.46%1,593,08248.18%342,50310.36%
1964 1,060,15233.10%2,136,61566.70%6,3350.20%
1960 1,620,42848.84%1,687,26950.85%10,4000.31%
1956 1,713,64755.63%1,359,89844.15%6,9230.22%
1952 1,551,52955.44%1,230,65743.97%16,4060.59%
1948 1,038,59549.23%1,003,44847.57%67,5663.20%
1944 1,084,42349.18%1,106,89950.19%13,9010.63%
1940 1,039,91749.85%1,032,99149.52%13,0210.62%
1936 699,73338.76%1,016,79456.33%88,5714.91%
1932 739,89444.44%871,70052.36%53,1713.19%
1928 965,39670.36%396,76228.92%9,9240.72%
1924 874,63175.37%152,35913.13%133,42911.50%
1920 762,86572.76%233,45022.27%52,0964.97%
1916 339,09752.09%286,77544.05%25,1013.86%
1912 152,24427.63%150,75127.36%247,98145.01%
1908 335,58061.93%175,77132.44%30,4795.63%
1904 364,95769.51%135,39225.79%24,6784.70%
1900 316,26958.10%211,68538.89%16,4253.02%
1896 293,33653.77%237,16643.47%15,0832.76%
1892 222,70847.79%201,62443.26%41,7138.95%
1888 236,38749.73%213,46944.91%25,5005.36%
1884 192,66948.02%189,36147.20%19,1564.77%
1880 185,33552.49%131,59737.27%36,14710.24%
1876 166,90152.41%141,68544.49%9,8643.10%
1872 138,75862.66%78,55135.47%4,1461.87%
1868 128,56056.98%97,06043.02%00.00%
1864 79,14953.60%68,51346.40%00.00%
1860 88,45057.23%64,88941.99%1,2100.78%
1856 71,76257.15%52,13941.52%1,6601.32%
1852 33,86040.83%41,84250.45%7,2378.73%
1848 23,94736.80%30,74247.24%10,39315.97%
1844 24,37543.72%27,73749.75%3,6396.53%
1840 22,93351.71%21,09647.57%3210.72%
1836 5,54543.78%7,12256.22%00.00%

The politics of Michigan, a competitive state that leans Democratic in presidential elections, are divided. Until 2016, Michigan was considered part of the Democrats' "Blue Wall." [2] Governors since the 1970s have alternated between the two parties, and statewide offices including attorney general, secretary of state, and senator have been held by members of both parties in varying proportions, though the state currently is represented by two Democratic U.S. Senators and Democrats hold every statewide office. The Democratic Party has the minimum majority of two seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Michigan Legislature. The state's congressional delegation is commonly split, with one party or the other typically holding a narrow majority: Democrats currently have a 7-6 majority, while there will be a 7-6 Republican majority in the upcoming 119th Congress beginning in January 2025.

Contents

The state has historically been a bellwether, having voted for the national winner all but six times since 1920, with the exceptions of 1940, 1948, 1968, 1976, 2000, and 2004. It currently has the longest active bellwether streak, tied with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, going back to the 2008 election. Prior to being a swing state, it was a Republican stronghold, voting Republican all but once from the founding of the GOP in 1854 until 1928, with the lone exception being a Progressive victory in 1912. [3]

Republican strongholds of the state include the rural areas in Western and Northern Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, Livingston County, and (historically) the outer suburbs of Grand Rapids, although redistricting after the 2020 census and shifting demographics has led many political observers to call the Grand Rapids suburbs a "toss-up" in future elections. [4] Areas of Democratic strength include the cities of Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon, as well as many of those cities' inner ring suburbs (all major urban centers). Much of suburban Detroit—which includes parts of Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties—is politically competitive between the two parties.

History

Michigan's only U.S. president, Gerald R. Ford Official portrait of President Gerald R. Ford (February 25, 1976).jpg
Michigan's only U.S. president, Gerald R. Ford

Historically, the first county-level meeting of the Republican Party took place in Jackson on July 6, 1854, [5] and the party thereafter dominated Michigan until the Great Depression. In the 1912 election, Michigan was one of the six states to support progressive Republican and third-party candidate Theodore Roosevelt for president after he lost the Republican nomination to William Howard Taft.

Michigan remained fairly reliably Republican at the presidential level for much of the 20th century. It was part of Greater New England, the northern tier of states settled chiefly by migrants from New England who carried their culture with them. The state was one of only a handful to back Wendell Willkie over Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, and supported Thomas E. Dewey in his losing bid against Harry S. Truman in 1948.

Michigan went to the Democrats in all three presidential elections during the 1960s but voted for the Republican candidate in every election from 1972 to 1988, including "native son" Gerald Ford in 1976. Since 1992 it has supported the Democrats by small to moderate margins, except for a narrow win by Donald Trump in 2016, which was the closest election in the state's history. In 2020, Joe Biden won it back by 2.8 points.

Michigan was the home of Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States. Born in Nebraska, he moved as an infant to Grand Rapids. [6] [7] The Gerald R. Ford Museum is in Grand Rapids, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is on the campus of his alma mater, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Michigan's United States Senator Thomas W. Ferry, was President pro tempore of the United States Senate from March 9, 1875 – March 17, 1879. Vice President Henry Wilson died on November 22, 1875. Ferry, being President pro tempore of the Senate, was next in the line of presidential succession, and remained so until March 4, 1877. While the title "Acting Vice President" isn't defined in the Constitution, the title was widely used at the time (including by Ferry himself). [8] [9]

Senator Thomas Ferry who served as president pro tempore and acting president of the U.S. Senate during the 1870s. Thomas W. Ferry - Brady-Handy.jpg
Senator Thomas Ferry who served as president pro tempore and acting president of the U.S. Senate during the 1870s.

In 1846, Michigan became the first state in the Union, as well as the first government in the world, to abolish the death penalty. [10] [11] Historian David Chardavoyne has suggested the movement to abolish capital punishment in Michigan grew out of enmity toward Canada, which made public executions a regular practice under British rule.

2020 election

U.S. Senate results, 2020. While Republicans dominated the Upper Peninsula and the rural counties of the Lower Peninsula, Democrats carried the state by winning the Detroit metropolitan area. 2020 United States Senate election in Michigan results map by county.svg
U.S. Senate results, 2020. While Republicans dominated the Upper Peninsula and the rural counties of the Lower Peninsula, Democrats carried the state by winning the Detroit metropolitan area.

While Michigan remained competitive in 2020, Democratic nominee Joe Biden's strength with traditional Democratic constituencies such as Black voters (93% to Trump's 6%) [12] and organized labor (56% to Trump's 42%) [12] and increased voter turnout in Detroit and its wealthy suburbs helped tip the state in his favor. [13]

Ballot initiatives

Michigan approved plans to expand Medicaid coverage in 2014 to adults with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level (approximately $15,500 for a single adult in 2014). [14]

In 2018, the state electorate passed proposals to create an independent redistricting commission, [15] and to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. [16] [17] [18]

In 2020, voters approved two ballot measures, one to increase the limit of money from sales of gas and oil from state-owned land that can benefit state parks, and another to require a warrant for search or seizure of electronic data and communications. [19] [20]

In 2022, voters considered three ballot proposals. Proposal 22-1 would require annual public financial disclosure reports from legislators and other state officials. It would also limit state legislators to a total term of 12 years, in any combination between the house and senate. Proposal 22-2 would add provisions to the constitution about conducting elections, including measures to recognize the right to vote without harassment and to require nine days of early voting and state-funded absentee-ballot drop boxes, among others. Proposal 22-3 would establish a new individual right to reproductive freedom, including the right to make all decisions about pregnancy and abortion. It also would forbid prosecution of any individual exercising that right. [21] All three ballot proposals passed with significant support. [22] [23]

Federal representation

Following each decennial census, the Michigan Redistricting Commission forms to redraw the districts. Michigan currently has 13 House districts. In the 118th Congress, seven of Michigan's seats are held by Democrats and six are held by Republicans:

Michigan's two United States senators are Democrats Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, serving since 2001 and 2015, respectively.

Michigan is part of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in the federal judiciary. The district's cases are appealed to the Cincinnati-based United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Michigan". US Election Atlas. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  2. ↑ Peters, Jeremy W. (2020-11-10). "Where the 'Blue Wall' Was Strongest, and Where Cracks Appeared". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  3. ↑ "Michigan Presidential Election Voting History - 270toWin".
  4. ↑ "Newly drawn congressional district in West Michigan moves from conservative-leaning to 'toss up'". mlive. 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  5. ↑ Michigan Historical Marker Program (February 18, 1956). Under the Oaks (Michigan Historical Marker). Jackson: Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Biography of Gerald R. Ford". whitehouse.gov . August 9, 1974. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2010– via National Archives.
  7. ↑ Funk, Josh (2006). "Nebraska-Born, Ford Left State As Infant". Boston Globe. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
  8. ↑ Michigan Historical Commission, and S. D Bingham (1924). Michigan biographies, including members of Congress, elective state officers, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the Michigan Legislature, Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, State Board of Agriculture and State Board of Education. The Michigan Historical Commission. pp. 453–454.
  9. ↑ "Biography of Thomas White Ferry". migenweb.org. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  10. ↑ "Information on States Without the Death Penalty". Archived from the original on May 12, 2008.
  11. ↑ "History of the Death Penalty: Faith in Action, Working to Abolish the Death Penalty". Amnesty USA. Archived from the original on March 6, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  12. 1 2 "Michigan Voter Surveys: How Different Groups Voted". The New York Times. 2020-11-03. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  13. ↑ Collins, Keith; Fessenden, Ford; Gamio, Lazaro; Harris, Rich; Keefe, John; Lu, Denise; Lutz, Eleanor; Walker, Amy Schoenfeld; Watkins, Derek (2020-11-05). "Michigan Flips Back to the Democrats". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  14. ↑ Ayanian, J. Z. (2013). "Michigan's Approach to Medicaid Expansion and Reform" (PDF). New England Journal of Medicine. 369 (19): 1773–1775. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1310910. PMID   24066713. S2CID   6375184. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-03.
  15. ↑ Gibbons, Lauren (November 6, 2018). "Voters Not Politicians declares victory for Proposal 2". MLive Lansing. Mlive Media Group. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Ballot Proposal 1 of 2018" (PDF). Michigan.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  17. ↑ "STATE OF MICHIGAN STATEWIDE BALLOT PROPOSALS NOVEMBER 6, 2018 GENERAL ELECTION" (PDF). Michigan.gov. September 19, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  18. ↑ Noble, Breana; Rahal, Sarah (December 6, 2018). "Michigan's new marijuana law brings confusion". The Detroit News . Archived from the original on August 11, 2019.
  19. ↑ "2020 ballot measure election results". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Election 2020: Ballot Proposals Passed In Michigan". November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  21. ↑ Senate Fiscal Agency (November 2022). "November 2022 - Michigan Ballot Proposals" (PDF). November 2022 - Michigan Ballot Proposals. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 13, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Michigan election results: Proposals 1 and 2 have big leads with most votes counted | Bridge Michigan". www.bridgemi.com. 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  23. ↑ "Michigan Proposal 3 results: abortion rights supporters declare victory | Bridge Michigan". www.bridgemi.com. 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
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