The 1916 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1916. Republican nominee Albert Sleeper defeated Democratic nominee Edwin F. Sweet with 55.83% of the vote.

Primary election

Michigan held primary elections on August 29, 1916.

Democratic party

Charles H. Bender won the Democratic primary without serious opposition, but declined the nomination. The party instead nominated Albert Sleeper, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce under Woodrow Wilson.

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles H. Bender 28,591 95.18%
Democratic Scattering 1,449 4.82%
Total votes 30,040 100.00%

Republican party

Former state treasurer Albert E. Sleeper emerged victorious in a crowded primary field.

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Albert E. Sleeper 99,638 34.98%
Republican Frank B. Leland 90,283 31.69%
Republican Gerrit J. Diekema 43,741 15.35%
Republican Washington Gardner 40.881 14.35%
Republican Sybrant Wesselius 10,160 3.57%
Republican Scattering 163 0.06%
Total votes 284,866 100.00%

Minor parties

Socialist primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Socialist Ernest J. Moore 1,449 84.94%
Socialist Scattering 257 15.06%
Total votes 1,706 100.00%
Prohibition primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Prohibition E. W. Woodruff 703 82.42%
Prohibition Scattering 150 17.58%
Total votes 853 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

Other candidates

  • Ernest J. Moore, Socialist
  • E. W. Woodruff, Prohibition
  • James R. Murray, Socialist Labor

Results

1916 Michigan gubernatorial election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Albert Sleeper 363,724 55.83% +15.81%
Democratic Edwin F. Sweet 264,440 40.59% −7.56%
Socialist Ernest J. Moore 15,040 2.31% −0.20%
Prohibition E. W. Woodruff 7,255 1.11% +0.24%
Socialist Labor James R. Murray 963 0.15% +0.03%
Scattering 96 0.01%
Majority 99,284 15.24%
Total votes 651,518 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +23.37%

Results by county

After this election, Kalamazoo County would not vote Democratic again until 1986.

County[3] Albert Sleeper
Republican		 Edwin F. Sweet
Democratic		 Ernest J. Moore
Socialist		 E. W. Woodruff
Prohibition		 James R. Murray
Socialist Labor		 Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Alcona 664 60.86% 381 34.92% 34 3.12% 10 0.92% 2 0.18% 283 25.94% 1,091
Alger 780 54.81% 561 39.42% 55 3.87% 25 1.76% 2 0.14% 219 15.39% 1,423
Allegan 4,925 55.94% 3,529 40.08% 217 2.46% 118 1.34% 10 0.11% 1,396 15.86% 8,804[a]
Alpena 2,120 60.36% 1,333 37.96% 48 1.37% 10 0.28% 1 0.03% 787 22.41% 3,512
Antrim 1,363 54.78% 930 37.38% 144 5.79% 43 1.73% 8 0.32% 433 17.40% 2,488
Arenac 1,062 54.27% 809 41.34% 53 2.71% 30 1.53% 3 0.15% 253 12.93% 1,957
Baraga 869 66.18% 350 26.66% 83 6.32% 8 0.61% 3 0.23% 519 39.53% 1,313
Barry 3,169 53.86% 2,515 42.74% 100 1.70% 92 1.56% 5 0.08% 654 11.11% 5,884[b]
Bay 7,315 55.72% 5,389 41.05% 318 2.42% 64 0.49% 41 0.31% 1,926 14.67% 13,127
Benzie 954 49.71% 730 38.04% 160 8.34% 64 3.34% 11 0.57% 224 11.67% 1,919
Berrien 7,766 55.37% 5,850 41.71% 222 1.58% 115 0.82% 67 0.48% 1,916 13.66% 14,026[c]
Branch 2,962 46.57% 3,217 50.58% 93 1.46% 85 1.34% 3 0.05% -255 -4.01% 6,360
Calhoun 7,119 45.86% 7,548 48.62% 645 4.15% 163 1.05% 49 0.32% -429 -2.76% 15,524
Cass 2,603 48.13% 2,596 48.00% 150 2.77% 51 0.94% 8 0.15% 7 0.13% 5,408
Charlevoix 1,964 56.93% 1,108 32.12% 303 8.78% 61 1.77% 14 0.41% 856 24.81% 3,450
Cheboygan 1,573 50.96% 1,412 45.74% 78 2.53% 20 0.65% 4 0.13% 161 5.22% 3,087
Chippewa 2,621 59.94% 1,585 36.25% 116 2.65% 46 1.05% 5 0.11% 1,036 23.69% 4,373
Clare 1,074 55.02% 779 39.91% 68 3.48% 29 1.49% 2 0.10% 295 15.11% 1,952
Clinton 3,502 62.20% 2,030 36.06% 38 0.67% 60 1.07% 0 0.00% 1,472 26.15% 5,630
Crawford 474 53.08% 394 44.12% 18 2.02% 6 0.67% 1 0.11% 80 8.96% 893
Delta 3,295 63.38% 1,596 30.70% 246 4.73% 42 0.81% 20 0.38% 1,699 32.68% 5,199
Dickinson 2,571 64.78% 1,146 28.87% 206 5.19% 41 1.03% 5 0.13% 1,425 35.90% 3,969
Eaton 3,977 53.01% 3,324 44.31% 105 1.40% 83 1.11% 13 0.17% 653 8.70% 7,502
Emmet 1,817 52.77% 1,315 38.19% 257 7.46% 41 1.19% 13 0.38% 502 14.58% 3,443
Genesee 10,108 52.15% 8,594 44.34% 427 2.20% 185 0.95% 42 0.22% 1,514 7.81% 19,383[d]
Gladwin 1,059 60.58% 650 37.19% 0 0.00% 34 1.95% 4 0.23% 409 23.40% 1,748[e]
Gogebic 2,334 58.09% 1,421 35.37% 125 3.11% 132 3.29% 6 0.15% 913 22.72% 4,018
Grand Traverse 2,041 48.32% 1,777 42.07% 322 7.62% 59 1.40% 25 0.59% 264 6.25% 4,224
Gratiot 3,531 53.19% 2,896 43.62% 55 0.83% 111 1.67% 6 0.09% 635 9.56% 6,639[f]
Hillsdale 3,541 49.69% 3,377 47.39% 42 0.59% 164 2.30% 2 0.03% 164 2.30% 7,126
Houghton 8,590 64.28% 4,061 30.39% 271 2.03% 426 3.19% 13 0.10% 4,529 33.89% 13,363[g]
Huron 5,267 77.70% 1,407 20.76% 65 0.96% 39 0.58% 1 0.01% 3,860 56.94% 6,779
Ingham 8,732 54.48% 7,023 43.81% 3 0.02% 216 1.35% 55 0.34% 1,709 10.66% 16,029
Ionia 4,149 50.68% 3,771 46.07% 126 1.54% 136 1.66% 4 0.05% 378 4.62% 8,186
Iosco 1,093 61.51% 649 36.52% 20 1.13% 14 0.79% 1 0.06% 444 24.99% 1,777
Iron 2,262 70.51% 791 24.66% 128 3.99% 21 0.65% 5 0.16% 1,471 45.85% 3,208[h]
Isabella 2,836 56.36% 2,041 40.56% 65 1.29% 85 1.69% 5 0.10% 795 15.80% 5,032
Jackson 7,690 49.23% 7,552 48.34% 193 1.24% 169 1.08% 18 0.12% 138 0.88% 15,622
Kalamazoo 6,607 46.25% 6,735 47.14% 748 5.24% 177 1.24% 19 0.13% -128 -0.90% 14,286
Kalkaska 749 57.75% 437 33.69% 79 6.09% 28 2.16% 4 0.31% 312 24.06% 1,297
Kent 16,495 43.45% 20,169 53.13% 861 2.27% 423 1.11% 17 0.04% -3,674 -9.68% 37,965
Keweenaw 882 79.96% 174 15.78% 21 1.90% 24 2.18% 2 0.18% 708 64.19% 1,103
Lake 607 62.32% 340 34.91% 25 2.57% 2 0.21% 0 0.00% 267 27.41% 974
Lapeer 3,520 64.56% 1,805 33.11% 28 0.51% 89 1.63% 10 0.18% 1,715 31.46% 5,452
Leelanau 1,010 54.92% 749 40.73% 54 2.94% 23 1.25% 3 0.16% 261 14.19% 1,839
Lenawee 6,330 52.62% 5,465 45.43% 81 0.67% 145 1.21% 6 0.05% 865 7.19% 12,030[b]
Livingston 2,546 52.31% 2,255 46.33% 6 0.12% 59 1.21% 1 0.02% 291 5.98% 4,867
Luce 575 69.87% 228 27.70% 6 0.73% 14 1.70% 0 0.00% 347 42.16% 823
Mackinac 1,121 54.92% 889 43.56% 28 1.37% 3 0.15% 0 0.00% 232 11.37% 2,041
Macomb 4,689 59.75% 3,015 38.42% 45 0.57% 92 1.17% 7 0.09% 1,674 21.33% 7,848
Manistee 2,501 53.07% 2,047 43.43% 108 2.29% 47 1.00% 10 0.21% 454 9.63% 4,713
Marquette 5,532 67.24% 2,260 27.47% 311 3.78% 108 1.31% 16 0.19% 3,272 39.77% 8,227
Mason 2,370 57.95% 1,669 40.81% 0 0.00% 48 1.17% 0 0.00% 701 17.14% 4,090[b]
Mecosta 2,628 60.59% 1,382 31.87% 247 5.70% 77 1.78% 3 0.07% 1,246 28.73% 4,337
Menominee 3,012 63.60% 1,580 33.36% 102 2.15% 39 0.82% 2 0.04% 1,432 30.24% 4,736[h]
Midland 2,227 60.29% 1,356 36.71% 66 1.79% 41 1.11% 4 0.11% 871 23.58% 3,694
Missaukee 1,249 58.28% 847 39.52% 26 1.21% 19 0.89% 2 0.09% 402 18.76% 2,143
Monroe 3,901 48.02% 4,112 50.62% 35 0.43% 74 0.91% 1 0.01% -211 -2.60% 8,123
Montcalm 3,930 56.30% 2,820 40.40% 98 1.40% 121 1.73% 11 0.16% 1,110 15.90% 6,980
Montmorency 452 60.19% 234 31.16% 54 7.19% 9 1.20% 2 0.27% 218 29.03% 751
Muskegon 6,167 56.00% 4,087 37.11% 610 5.54% 121 1.10% 28 0.25% 2,080 18.89% 11,013
Newaygo 2,512 59.68% 1,475 35.04% 144 3.42% 67 1.59% 11 0.26% 1,037 24.64% 4,209
Oakland 8,149 54.39% 6,371 42.52% 280 1.87% 163 1.09% 19 0.13% 1,778 11.87% 14,982
Oceana 2,014 55.21% 1,373 37.64% 175 4.80% 76 2.08% 10 0.27% 641 17.57% 3,648
Ogemaw 986 57.06% 651 37.67% 38 2.20% 52 3.01% 1 0.06% 335 19.39% 1,728
Ontonagon 1,333 58.46% 794 34.82% 120 5.26% 28 1.23% 5 0.22% 539 23.64% 2,280
Osceola 2,298 64.14% 1,228 34.27% 14 0.39% 42 1.17% 1 0.03% 1,070 29.86% 3,583
Oscoda 270 61.64% 159 36.30% 7 1.60% 2 0.46% 0 0.00% 111 25.34% 438
Otsego 639 58.41% 428 39.12% 11 1.01% 13 1.19% 3 0.27% 211 19.29% 1,094
Ottawa 5,409 54.91% 4,144 42.07% 214 2.17% 76 0.77% 7 0.07% 1,265 12.84% 9,850
Presque Isle 1,573 68.15% 661 28.64% 56 2.43% 8 0.35% 8 0.35% 912 39.51% 2,308[g]
Roscommon 367 61.47% 200 33.50% 23 3.85% 3 0.50% 4 0.67% 167 27.97% 597
Saginaw 10,285 55.64% 7,735 41.84% 306 1.66% 132 0.71% 27 0.15% 2,550 13.79% 18,485
Sanilac 5,128 74.51% 1,511 21.96% 24 0.35% 218 3.17% 1 0.01% 3,617 52.56% 6,882
Schoolcraft 1,079 61.20% 558 31.65% 37 2.10% 88 4.99% 1 0.06% 521 29.55% 1,763
Shiawassee 4,066 54.04% 3,226 42.88% 172 2.29% 53 0.70% 7 0.09% 840 11.16% 7,524
St. Clair 7,161 62.51% 4,095 35.75% 110 0.96% 88 0.77% 1 0.01% 3,066 26.76% 11,456[h]
St. Joseph 3,201 45.55% 3,610 51.37% 194 2.76% 13 0.19% 9 0.13% -409 -5.82% 7,027
Tuscola 4,722 66.86% 2,135 30.23% 51 0.72% 150 2.12% 5 0.07% 2,587 36.63% 7,063
Van Buren 4,457 57.07% 3,120 39.95% 164 2.10% 57 0.73% 12 0.15% 1,337 17.12% 7,810
Washtenaw 6,510 53.64% 5,388 44.39% 134 1.10% 75 0.62% 30 0.25% 1,122 9.24% 12,137
Wayne 80,294 58.35% 52,856 38.41% 3,413 2.48% 876 0.64% 176 0.13% 27,438 19.94% 137,616[h]
Wexford 2,399 56.61% 1,630 38.46% 115 2.71% 94 2.22% 0 0.00% 769 18.15% 4,238
Total363,72455.83%264,44040.59%15,0402.31%7,2551.11%9630.15%99,28415.24%651,518
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes 5 write-in votes for H. R. Pattengill
  2. 1 2 3 Includes 3 write-in votes for H. R. Pattengill
  3. ↑ Includes 6 write-in votes for H. R. Pattengill
  4. ↑ Includes 27 write-in votes for H. R. Pattengill
  5. ↑ Includes 1 write-in vote for Frank Durfee
  6. ↑ Includes 40 write-in votes for H. R. Pattengill
  7. 1 2 Includes 2 write-in votes for H. R. Pattengill
  8. 1 2 3 4 Includes 1 write-in vote for H. R. Pattengill

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Vaughn, Coleman C. (1917). "Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, August 29, 1916". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual for the Years 1917 and 1918. pp. 420–422. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Legislator Details". Library of Michigan. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Vaughn, Coleman C. (1917). "Official Canvass of Votes, Election, November 7, 1916". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual for the Years 1917 and 1918. pp. 466–467. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1916_Michigan_gubernatorial_election