| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1952 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1952. Incumbent Democrat G. Mennen Williams defeated Republican nominee Frederick M. Alger Jr. with 49.96% of the vote. With a margin of just 0.30%, this is the second-closest gubernatorial election in Michigan's history, behind only the previous election.
Primary election
Michigan held primary elections on August 5, 1952.
Democratic party
Incumbent governor G. Mennen Williams was renominated for a third term without opposition.
Candidates
- G. Mennen Williams, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (inc.) | 566,818 | 99.99% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 16 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 566,834 | 100.00% | ||
Republican party
Former secretary of state Frederick M. Alger Jr., who had lost in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 1950, this time won the Republican nomination.
Candidates
- Frederick M. Alger Jr., former Michigan Secretary of State
- Donald S. Leonard, former Michigan State Police commissioner[2]
- William C. Vandenberg, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frederick M. Alger Jr. | 384,532 | 44.21% | |
| Republican | Donald S. Leonard | 253,703 | 29.17% | |
| Republican | William C. Vandenberg | 231,461 | 26.61% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 16 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 869,712 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- G. Mennen Williams, Democratic
- Frederick M. Alger Jr., Republican
Other candidates
- E. Harold Munn, Prohibition
- Theos A. Grove, Socialist Labor
- Howard Lerner, Socialist Workers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (inc.) | 1,431,893 | 49.96% | +0.20% | |
| Republican | Frederick M. Alger Jr. | 1,423,275 | 49.66% | −0.04% | |
| Prohibition | E. Harold Munn | 8,990 | 0.31% | −0.14% | |
| Socialist Labor | Theos A. Grove | 1,192 | 0.04% | −0.02% | |
| Socialist Workers | Howard Lerner | 628 | 0.02% | −0.01% | |
| Scattering | 2 | 0.00% | |||
| Plurality | 8,618 | 0.30% | |||
| Total votes | 2,865,980 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | +0.24% | |||
Results by county
| County[3] | G. Mennen Williams Democratic |
Frederick M. Alger Republican |
E. Harold Munn Prohibition |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 832 | 30.63% | 1.878 | 69.15% | 5 | 0.18% | 1 | 0.04% | -1,046 | -38.51% | 2,716 |
| Alger | 2,346 | 56.72% | 1,772 | 42.84% | 16 | 0.39% | 2 | 0.05% | 574 | 13.88% | 4,136 |
| Allegan | 6,391 | 29.93% | 14,847 | 69.52% | 111 | 0.52% | 7 | 0.03% | -8,456 | -39.60% | 21,356 |
| Alpena | 3,616 | 38.74% | 5,689 | 60.95% | 25 | 0.27% | 4 | 0.04% | -2,073 | -22.21% | 9,334 |
| Antrim | 1,175 | 25.42% | 3,408 | 73.73% | 39 | 0.84% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,233 | -48.31% | 4,622 |
| Arenac | 1,430 | 35.15% | 2,632 | 64.70% | 5 | 0.12% | 1 | 0.02% | -1,202 | -29.55% | 4,068 |
| Baraga | 1,808 | 50.18% | 1,793 | 49.76% | 2 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 15 | 0.42% | 3,603 |
| Barry | 4,027 | 32.66% | 8,208 | 66.57% | 94 | 0.76% | 1 | 0.01% | -4,181 | -33.91% | 12,330 |
| Bay | 17,341 | 47.01% | 19,468 | 52.77% | 75 | 0.20% | 7 | 0.02% | -2,127 | -5.77% | 36,891 |
| Benzie | 1,173 | 31.46% | 2,520 | 67.58% | 34 | 0.91% | 2 | 0.05% | -1,347 | -36.12% | 3,729 |
| Berrien | 21,456 | 41.10% | 30,575 | 58.57% | 158 | 0.30% | 16 | 0.03% | -9,119 | -17.47% | 52,205 |
| Branch | 4,524 | 34.84% | 8,374 | 64.48% | 86 | 0.66% | 2 | 0.02% | -3,850 | -29.65% | 12,986 |
| Calhoun | 24,450 | 46.46% | 27,930 | 53.08% | 221 | 0.42% | 21 | 0.04% | -3,480 | -6.61% | 52,622 |
| Cass | 5,135 | 38.99% | 7,980 | 60.59% | 51 | 0.39% | 4 | 0.03% | -2,845 | -21.60% | 13,170 |
| Charlevoix | 2,005 | 35.12% | 3,662 | 64.14% | 39 | 0.68% | 3 | 0.05% | -1,657 | -29.02% | 5,709 |
| Cheboygan | 2,235 | 35.58% | 4,034 | 64.23% | 11 | 0.18% | 1 | 0.02% | -1,799 | -28.64% | 6,281 |
| Chippewa | 5,205 | 45.85% | 6,120 | 53.91% | 27 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | -915 | -8.06% | 11,352 |
| Clare | 1,259 | 27.39% | 3,316 | 72.13% | 21 | 0.46% | 1 | 0.02% | -2,057 | -44.75% | 4,597 |
| Clinton | 4,125 | 30.40% | 9,374 | 69.09% | 69 | 0.51% | 0 | 0.00% | -5,249 | -38.69% | 13,568 |
| Crawford | 647 | 35.36% | 1,180 | 64.48% | 3 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | -533 | -29.13% | 1,830 |
| Delta | 8,185 | 56.65% | 6,246 | 43.23% | 17 | 0.12% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,939 | 13.42% | 14,449 |
| Dickinson | 6,757 | 57.67% | 4,935 | 42.12% | 22 | 0.19% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,822 | 15.55% | 11,717 |
| Eaton | 7,104 | 37.35% | 11,826 | 62.17% | 88 | 0.46% | 3 | 0.02% | -4,722 | -24.83% | 19,021 |
| Emmet | 2,424 | 34.53% | 4,577 | 65.20% | 18 | 0.26% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,153 | -30.67% | 7,020 |
| Genesee | 63,655 | 52.68% | 56,636 | 46.87% | 483 | 0.40% | 64 | 0.05% | 7,019 | 5.81% | 120,838 |
| Gladwin | 1,118 | 27.76% | 2,891 | 71.77% | 19 | 0.47% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,773 | -44.02% | 4,028 |
| Gogebic | 7,982 | 58.68% | 5,582 | 41.04% | 34 | 0.25% | 4[a] | 0.03% | 2,400 | 17.64% | 13,602 |
| Grand Traverse | 3,503 | 29.91% | 8,181 | 69.85% | 26 | 0.22% | 2 | 0.02% | -4,678 | -39.94% | 11,712 |
| Gratiot | 3,825 | 29.30% | 9,143 | 70.03% | 88 | 0.67% | 0 | 0.00% | -5,318 | -40.73% | 13,056 |
| Hillsdale | 4,396 | 30.65% | 9,799 | 68.31% | 149 | 1.04% | 0 | 0.00% | -5,403 | -37.67% | 14,344 |
| Houghton | 8,581 | 49.91% | 8,584 | 49.93% | 23 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.02% | -3 | -0.02% | 17,192 |
| Huron | 3,061 | 23.21% | 10,106 | 76.63% | 21 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | -7,045 | -53.42% | 13,188 |
| Ingham | 33,723 | 43.74% | 42,910 | 55.65% | 446 | 0.58% | 27 | 0.04% | -9,187 | -11.91% | 77,106 |
| Ionia | 5,967 | 37.84% | 9,679 | 61.37% | 124 | 0.79% | 1 | 0.01% | -3,712 | -23.54% | 15,771 |
| Iosco | 1,440 | 28.63% | 3,578 | 71.13% | 9 | 0.18% | 3 | 0.06% | -2,138 | -42.50% | 5,030 |
| Iron | 5,465 | 59.34% | 3,725 | 40.45% | 17 | 0.18% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,740 | 18.89% | 9,209 |
| Isabella | 3,975 | 35.52% | 7,158 | 63.96% | 58 | 0.52% | 1 | 0.01% | -3,183 | -28.44% | 11,192 |
| Jackson | 18,774 | 38.15% | 30,229 | 61.43% | 196 | 0.40% | 12 | 0.02% | -11,455 | -23.28% | 49,211 |
| Kalamazoo | 22,961 | 39.43% | 35,002 | 60.11% | 256 | 0.44% | 13 | 0.02% | -12,041 | -20.68% | 58,232 |
| Kalkaska | 592 | 32.39% | 1,227 | 67.12% | 9 | 0.49% | 0 | 0.00% | -635 | -34.74% | 1,828 |
| Kent | 55,647 | 41.38% | 78,117 | 58.09% | 651 | 0.48% | 51 | 0.04% | -22,470 | -16.71% | 134,466 |
| Keweenaw | 825 | 55.44% | 663 | 44.56% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 162 | 10.89% | 1,488 |
| Lake | 1,242 | 46.03% | 1,447 | 53.63% | 7 | 0.26% | 2 | 0.07% | -205 | -7.60% | 2,698 |
| Lapeer | 4,599 | 33.59% | 9,032 | 65.98% | 58 | 0.42% | 1 | 0.01% | -4,433 | -32.38% | 13,690 |
| Leelanau | 1,194 | 30.33% | 2,736 | 69.49% | 5 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.05% | -1,542 | -39.17% | 3,937 |
| Lenawee | 9,016 | 31.77% | 19,260 | 67.86% | 96 | 0.34% | 8 | 0.03% | -10,244 | -36.10% | 28,380 |
| Livingston | 4,016 | 30.84% | 8,939 | 68.65% | 65 | 0.50% | 2 | 0.02% | -4,923 | -37.81% | 13,022 |
| Luce | 759 | 35.40% | 1,382 | 64.46% | 2 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.05% | -623 | -29.06% | 2,144 |
| Mackinac | 1,790 | 41.13% | 2,557 | 58.75% | 5 | 0.11% | 0 | 0.00% | -767 | -17.62% | 4,352 |
| Macomb | 43,779 | 56.21% | 33,904 | 43.53% | 142 | 0.18% | 58 | 0.07% | 9,875 | 12.68% | 77,883 |
| Manistee | 3,548 | 42.29% | 4,822 | 57.48% | 18 | 0.21% | 1 | 0.01% | -1,274 | -15.19% | 8,389 |
| Marquette | 11,088 | 51.26% | 10,511 | 48.60% | 28 | 0.13% | 2 | 0.01% | 577 | 2.67% | 21,629 |
| Mason | 4,086 | 42.66% | 5,441 | 56.81% | 46 | 0.48% | 4 | 0.04% | -1,355 | -14.15% | 9,577 |
| Mecosta | 2,063 | 29.20% | 4,949 | 70.04% | 54 | 0.76% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,886 | -40.84% | 7,066 |
| Menominee | 5,225 | 47.63% | 5,713 | 52.08% | 27 | 0.25% | 5 | 0.05% | -488 | -4.45% | 10,970 |
| Midland | 5,374 | 36.09% | 9,435 | 63.37% | 78 | 0.52% | 2 | 0.01% | -4,061 | -27.28% | 14,889 |
| Missaukee | 709 | 22.39% | 2,435 | 76.89% | 23 | 0.73% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,726 | -54.50% | 3,167 |
| Monroe | 14,694 | 48.19% | 15,683 | 51.43% | 96 | 0.31% | 19 | 0.06% | -989 | -3.24% | 30,492 |
| Montcalm | 4,594 | 33.12% | 9,174 | 66.15% | 101 | 0.73% | 0 | 0.00% | -4,580 | -33.02% | 13,869 |
| Montmorency | 647 | 32.30% | 1,343 | 67.05% | 13 | 0.65% | 0 | 0.00% | -696 | -34.75% | 2,003 |
| Muskegon | 29,142 | 54.23% | 24,281 | 45.19% | 267 | 0.50% | 44 | 0.08% | 4,861 | 9.05% | 53,734 |
| Newaygo | 2,969 | 31.79% | 6,324 | 67.71% | 46 | 0.49% | 1 | 0.01% | -3,355 | -35.92% | 9,340 |
| Oakland | 89,815 | 45.63% | 106,447 | 54.08% | 468 | 0.24% | 106 | 0.05% | -16,632 | -8.45% | 196,836 |
| Oceana | 2,315 | 34.94% | 4,215 | 63.61% | 93 | 1.40% | 3 | 0.05% | -1,900 | -28.67% | 6,626 |
| Ogemaw | 1,234 | 30.56% | 2,790 | 69.09% | 14 | 0.35% | 0 | 0.00% | -1,556 | -38.53% | 4,038 |
| Ontonagon | 2,674 | 52.15% | 2,447 | 47.72% | 5 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.04% | 227 | 4.43% | 5,128 |
| Osceola | 1,401 | 23.92% | 4,398 | 75.08% | 59 | 1.01% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,997 | -51.16% | 5,858 |
| Oscoda | 315 | 24.49% | 969 | 75.35% | 2 | 0.16% | 0 | 0.00% | -654 | -50.86% | 1,286 |
| Otsego | 1,003 | 35.59% | 1,805 | 64.05% | 9 | 0.32% | 1 | 0.04% | -802 | -28.46% | 2,818 |
| Ottawa | 10,425 | 30.81% | 23,162 | 68.46% | 234 | 0.69% | 12 | 0.04% | -12,737 | -37.65% | 33,833 |
| Presque Isle | 2,077 | 43.16% | 2,725 | 56.63% | 10 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | -648 | -13.47% | 4,812 |
| Roscommon | 831 | 25.66% | 2,397 | 74.00% | 9 | 0.28% | 2 | 0.06% | -1,566 | -48.35% | 3,239 |
| Saginaw | 27,568 | 42.53% | 36,821 | 56.81% | 271 | 0.42% | 159 | 0.25% | -9,253 | -14.28% | 64,819 |
| Sanilac | 2,884 | 21.22% | 10,643 | 78.30% | 63 | 0.46% | 2 | 0.01% | -7,759 | -57.09% | 13,592 |
| Schoolcraft | 1,987 | 49.00% | 2,060 | 50.80% | 8 | 0.20% | 0 | 0.00% | -73 | -1.80% | 4,055 |
| Shiawassee | 7,786 | 38.67% | 12,168 | 60.43% | 177 | 0.88% | 4 | 0.02% | -4,382 | -21.76% | 20,135 |
| St. Clair | 14,615 | 36.06% | 25,843 | 63.77% | 63 | 0.16% | 4 | 0.01% | -11,228 | -27.71% | 40,525 |
| St. Joseph | 5,426 | 32.15% | 11,291 | 66.91% | 155 | 0.92% | 3 | 0.02% | -5,865 | -34.76% | 16,875 |
| Tuscola | 3,994 | 26.36% | 11,086 | 73.16% | 71 | 0.47% | 2 | 0.01% | -7,092 | -46.80% | 15,153 |
| Van Buren | 6,346 | 33.95% | 12,293 | 65.77% | 45 | 0.24% | 8 | 0.04% | -5,947 | -31.82% | 18,692 |
| Washtenaw | 21,528 | 38.83% | 33,744 | 60.86% | 145 | 0.26% | 26 | 0.05% | -12,216 | -22.03% | 55,443 |
| Wayne | 693,111 | 62.33% | 415,867 | 37.40% | 2,011 | 0.18% | 1,070 | 0.10% | 277,244 | 24.93% | 1,112,059 |
| Wexford | 2,884 | 35.51% | 5,182 | 63.80% | 55 | 0.68% | 1 | 0.01% | -2,298 | -28.29% | 8,122 |
| Total | 1,431,893 | 49.96% | 1,423,275 | 49.66% | 8,990 | 0.31% | 1,822 | 0.06% | 8,618 | 0.30% | 2,865,980 |
Notes
- ↑ The summary canvass in the 1953-1954 Michigan Manual transposes the votes for Grove and Lerner in this county. The correct results can be found in the detailed results for Gogebic County on page 487.
References
- 1 2 Cleary, Owen J. (1953). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, August 5, 1952". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1953-1954. pp. 371–373. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Donald S. Leonard Papers, 1925-1966". University of Michigan Library. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- 1 2 Cleary, Owen J. (1953). "Official Canvass of Votes, General Election, November 4, 1952". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1953-1954. pp. 411–412. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
