| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1942 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1942. Republican nominee Harry Kelly defeated incumbent Democrat Murray Van Wagoner with 52.60% of the vote. This was the sixth consecutive gubernatorial election in Michigan in which the incumbent party was defeated.
Primary election
Michigan held primary elections on September 15, 1942.
Democratic party
Incumbent governor Murray Van Wagoner was renominated without opposition.
Candidates
- Murray Van Wagoner, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Murray Van Wagoner (inc.) | 176,266 | 99.99% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 16 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 176,282 | 100.00% | ||
Republican party
Secretary of State Harry F. Kelly won the Republican nomination unopposed.
Candidates
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Harry F. Kelly | 315,458 | 99.97% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 90 | 0.03% | |
| Total votes | 315,548 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- Harry F. Kelly, Republican
- Murray Van Wagoner, Democratic
Other candidates
- Frederic S. Goodrich, Prohibition
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Harry F. Kelly | 645,335 | 52.60% | +6.02% | |
| Democratic | Murray Van Wagoner (inc.) | 573,314 | 46.73% | −6.32% | |
| Prohibition | Frederic S. Goodrich | 8,065 | 0.66% | ||
| Scattering | 60 | 0.00% | |||
| Majority | 72,021 | 5.87% | |||
| Total votes | 1,226,774 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +12.34% | |||
Results by county
| County[2] | Harry F. Kelly Republican |
Murray Van Wagoner Democratic |
Frederic S. Goodrich Prohibition |
Scattering Write-in |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 996 | 68.08% | 463 | 31.65% | 4 | 0.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 533 | 36.43% | 1,463 |
| Alger | 1,034 | 40.66% | 1,497 | 58.87% | 12 | 0.47% | 0 | 0.00% | -463 | -18.21% | 2,543 |
| Allegan | 7,742 | 78.42% | 2,064 | 20.91% | 67 | 0.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 5,678 | 57.51% | 9,873 |
| Alpena | 2,688 | 57.87% | 1,938 | 41.72% | 19 | 0.41% | 0 | 0.00% | 750 | 16.15% | 4,645 |
| Antrim | 1,721 | 68.84% | 751 | 30.04% | 28 | 1.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 970 | 38.80% | 2,500 |
| Arenac | 1,542 | 63.61% | 874 | 36.06% | 8 | 0.33% | 0 | 0.00% | 668 | 27.56% | 2,424 |
| Baraga | 1,508 | 52.78% | 1,345 | 47.08% | 4 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 163 | 5.71% | 2,857 |
| Barry | 4,040 | 71.50% | 1,363 | 24.12% | 246 | 4.35% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,677 | 47.38% | 5,650 |
| Bay | 9,810 | 50.37% | 9,591 | 49.25% | 73 | 0.37% | 1 | 0.01% | 219 | 1.12% | 19,475 |
| Benzie | 1,496 | 68.37% | 679 | 31.03% | 13 | 0.59% | 0 | 0.00% | 817 | 37.34% | 2,188 |
| Berrien | 15,244 | 68.21% | 7,022 | 31.42% | 81 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 8,222 | 36.79% | 22,347 |
| Branch | 4,251 | 71.99% | 1,579 | 26.74% | 74 | 1.25% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,672 | 45.25% | 5,905 |
| Calhoun | 11,584 | 59.33% | 7,501 | 38.42% | 440 | 2.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,083 | 20.91% | 19,525 |
| Cass | 4,592 | 71.45% | 1,804 | 28.07% | 30 | 0.47% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,788 | 43.38% | 6,427 |
| Charlevoix | 1,994 | 63.83% | 1,108 | 35.47% | 22 | 0.70% | 0 | 0.00% | 886 | 28.36% | 3,124 |
| Cheboygan | 2,318 | 56.76% | 1,741 | 42.63% | 25 | 0.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 577 | 14.13% | 4,084 |
| Chippewa | 4,102 | 59.76% | 2,737 | 39.87% | 25 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,365 | 19.89% | 6,834 |
| Clare | 1,932 | 73.04% | 697 | 26.35% | 16 | 0.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,235 | 46.69% | 2,645 |
| Clinton | 5,192 | 76.56% | 1,535 | 22.63% | 54 | 0.80% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,657 | 53.92% | 6,782 |
| Crawford | 527 | 54.95% | 428 | 44.63% | 4 | 0.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 99 | 10.32% | 959 |
| Delta | 4,622 | 49.52% | 4,688 | 50.23% | 23 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | -66 | -0.71% | 9,333 |
| Dickinson | 4,322 | 48.58% | 4,470 | 50.24% | 105 | 1.18% | 0 | 0.00% | -148 | -1.66% | 8,897 |
| Eaton | 6,223 | 67.43% | 2,862 | 31.01% | 144 | 1.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,361 | 36.42% | 9,229 |
| Emmet | 2,554 | 59.55% | 1,708 | 39.82% | 26 | 0.61% | 1 | 0.02% | 846 | 19.72% | 4,289 |
| Genesee | 22,613 | 47.73% | 24,448 | 51.61% | 312 | 0.66% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,835 | -3.87% | 47,373 |
| Gladwin | 1,600 | 70.24% | 652 | 28.62% | 26 | 1.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 948 | 41.62% | 2,278 |
| Gogebic | 5,129 | 46.75% | 5,742 | 52.34% | 100 | 0.91% | 0 | 0.00% | -613 | -5.59% | 10,971 |
| Grand Traverse | 2,917 | 64.35% | 1,577 | 34.79% | 39 | 0.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,340 | 29.56% | 4,533 |
| Gratiot | 4,938 | 67.34% | 2,242 | 30.57% | 152 | 2.07% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,696 | 36.77% | 7,333 |
| Hillsdale | 5,283 | 70.88% | 2,036 | 27.32% | 134 | 1.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,247 | 43.57% | 7,453 |
| Houghton | 7,357 | 50.35% | 7,204 | 49.30% | 52 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 153 | 1.05% | 14,613 |
| Huron | 7,636 | 78.78% | 2,024 | 20.88% | 27 | 0.28% | 6 | 0.06% | 5,612 | 57.90% | 9,693 |
| Ingham | 19,318 | 59.32% | 12,873 | 39.53% | 373 | 1.15% | 2 | 0.01% | 6,445 | 19.79% | 32,566 |
| Ionia | 5,728 | 66.71% | 2,729 | 31.78% | 124 | 1.44% | 5 | 0.06% | 2,999 | 34.93% | 8,586 |
| Iosco | 1,530 | 63.75% | 854 | 35.58% | 16 | 0.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 676 | 28.17% | 2,400 |
| Iron | 3,027 | 50.40% | 2,906 | 48.38% | 73 | 1.22% | 0 | 0.00% | 121 | 2.01% | 6,006 |
| Isabella | 4,183 | 69.19% | 1,803 | 29.82% | 59 | 0.98% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,380 | 39.36% | 6,046 |
| Jackson | 12,382 | 61.65% | 7,498 | 37.33% | 203 | 1.01% | 1 | 0.00% | 4,884 | 24.32% | 20,084 |
| Kalamazoo | 14,084 | 64.09% | 7,443 | 33.87% | 443 | 2.02% | 7 | 0.03% | 6,641 | 30.22% | 21,977 |
| Kalkaska | 655 | 69.68% | 266 | 28.30% | 19 | 2.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 389 | 41.38% | 940 |
| Kent | 32,116 | 57.45% | 23,228 | 41.55% | 559 | 1.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 8,888 | 15.90% | 55,903 |
| Keweenaw | 719 | 49.15% | 741 | 50.65% | 3 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | -22 | -1.50% | 1,463 |
| Lake | 917 | 68.43% | 418 | 31.19% | 5 | 0.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 499 | 37.24% | 1,340 |
| Lapeer | 4,444 | 71.86% | 1,695 | 27.41% | 45 | 0.73% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,749 | 44.45% | 6,184 |
| Leelanau | 1,360 | 71.65% | 537 | 28.29% | 1 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 823 | 43.36% | 1,898 |
| Lenawee | 8,400 | 64.30% | 4,566 | 34.95% | 94 | 0.72% | 3 | 0.02% | 3,834 | 29.35% | 13,063 |
| Livingston | 4,349 | 64.28% | 2,356 | 34.82% | 61 | 0.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,993 | 29.46% | 6,766 |
| Luce | 980 | 62.26% | 587 | 37.29% | 7 | 0.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 393 | 24.97% | 1,574 |
| Mackinac | 1,699 | 58.24% | 1,213 | 41.58% | 5 | 0.17% | 0 | 0.00% | 486 | 16.66% | 2,917 |
| Macomb | 12,366 | 49.57% | 12,448 | 49.90% | 130 | 0.52% | 2 | 0.01% | -82 | -0.33% | 24,946 |
| Manistee | 3,230 | 57.48% | 2,369 | 42.16% | 20 | 0.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 861 | 15.32% | 5,619 |
| Marquette | 7,031 | 52.29% | 6,222 | 46.28% | 192 | 1.43% | 0 | 0.00% | 809 | 6.02% | 13,445 |
| Mason | 2,973 | 59.73% | 1,980 | 39.78% | 24 | 0.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 993 | 19.95% | 4,977 |
| Mecosta | 2,630 | 75.44% | 819 | 23.49% | 37 | 1.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,811 | 51.95% | 3,486 |
| Menominee | 3,968 | 55.39% | 3,182 | 44.42% | 14 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | 786 | 10.97% | 7,164 |
| Midland | 3,419 | 63.76% | 1,903 | 35.49% | 40 | 0.75% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,516 | 28.27% | 5,362 |
| Missaukee | 1,454 | 71.24% | 561 | 27.49% | 26 | 1.27% | 0 | 0.00% | 893 | 43.75% | 2,041 |
| Monroe | 7,962 | 52.58% | 7,128 | 47.07% | 49 | 0.32% | 4 | 0.03% | 834 | 5.51% | 15,143 |
| Montcalm | 4,659 | 69.12% | 1,992 | 29.55% | 86 | 1.28% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,667 | 39.57% | 6,740 |
| Montmorency | 742 | 65.32% | 392 | 34.51% | 2 | 0.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 350 | 30.81% | 1,136 |
| Muskegon | 9,793 | 52.25% | 8,848 | 47.21% | 101 | 0.54% | 0 | 0.00% | 945 | 5.04% | 18,742 |
| Newaygo | 3,709 | 78.27% | 1,002 | 21.14% | 28 | 0.59% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,707 | 57.12% | 4,739 |
| Oakland | 28,568 | 51.27% | 26,903 | 48.28% | 241 | 0.43% | 7 | 0.01% | 1,665 | 2.99% | 55,719 |
| Oceana | 2,501 | 66.69% | 1,202 | 32.05% | 47 | 1.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,299 | 34.64% | 3,750 |
| Ogemaw | 1,524 | 70.30% | 627 | 28.92% | 17 | 0.78% | 0 | 0.00% | 897 | 41.37% | 2,168 |
| Ontonagon | 2,255 | 50.10% | 2,233 | 49.61% | 13 | 0.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 22 | 0.49% | 4,501 |
| Osceola | 2,570 | 76.44% | 756 | 22.49% | 35 | 1.04% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,814 | 53.96% | 3,362 |
| Oscoda | 589 | 67.08% | 288 | 32.80% | 1 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | 301 | 34.28% | 878 |
| Otsego | 1,018 | 57.38% | 745 | 42.00% | 11 | 0.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 273 | 15.39% | 1,774 |
| Ottawa | 10,071 | 71.36% | 3,946 | 27.96% | 96 | 0.68% | 0 | 0.00% | 6,125 | 43.40% | 14,113 |
| Presque Isle | 1,531 | 53.51% | 1,320 | 46.14% | 10 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 211 | 7.38% | 2,861 |
| Roscommon | 948 | 68.30% | 430 | 30.98% | 10 | 0.72% | 0 | 0.00% | 518 | 37.32% | 1,388 |
| Saginaw | 17,316 | 57.20% | 12,804 | 42.30% | 151 | 0.50% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,512 | 14.91% | 30,271 |
| Sanilac | 6,071 | 78.82% | 1,575 | 20.45% | 54 | 0.70% | 2 | 0.03% | 4,496 | 58.37% | 7,702 |
| Schoolcraft | 1,501 | 58.91% | 1,044 | 40.97% | 3 | 0.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 457 | 17.94% | 2,548 |
| Shiawassee | 6,324 | 64.83% | 3,273 | 33.56% | 155 | 1.59% | 2 | 0.02% | 3,051 | 31.28% | 9,754 |
| St. Clair | 11,403 | 66.04% | 5,819 | 33.70% | 44 | 0.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 5,584 | 32.34% | 17,266 |
| St. Joseph | 6,103 | 70.83% | 2,465 | 28.61% | 45 | 0.52% | 3 | 0.03% | 3,638 | 42.22% | 8,616 |
| Tuscola | 6,000 | 74.68% | 1,978 | 24.62% | 56 | 0.70% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,022 | 50.06% | 8,034 |
| Van Buren | 7,435 | 73.13% | 2,679 | 26.35% | 53 | 0.52% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,756 | 46.78% | 10,167 |
| Washtenaw | 10,893 | 63.11% | 6,269 | 36.32% | 94 | 0.54% | 4 | 0.02% | 4,624 | 26.79% | 17,260 |
| Wayne | 178,740 | 39.81% | 268,618 | 59.83% | 1,639 | 0.37% | 0 | 0.00% | -89,878 | -20.02% | 448,997 |
| Wexford | 2,640 | 64.12% | 1,411 | 34.27% | 66 | 1.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,229 | 29.85% | 4,117 |
| Total | 645,335 | 52.60% | 573,314 | 46.73% | 8,065 | 0.66% | 60 | 0.00% | 72,021 | 5.87% | 1,226,774 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
References
- 1 2 Dignan, Herman H. (1943). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, September 15, 1942". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1943-1944. pp. 209–212. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Dignan, Herman H. (1943). "Official Canvass of Votes, Election, November 3, 1942". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1943-1944. pp. 249–250. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
