1978 Michigan gubernatorial election

none January 2025 September 2023 1978 Michigan gubernatorial election Michigan presidential no 1974 Michigan gubernatorial election 1974 1982 Michigan gubernatorial election 1982 November 7, 1978 File:William Milliken 1977.png 150x150px William Milliken Republican Party (United States) James H. Brickley 1,628,485 56.80% File:William B. Fitzgerald Jr.png William B. Fitzgerald Democratic Party (United States) Olivia P. Maynard 1,237,256 43.15% 1978 Michigan gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsMilliken: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80% Fitzgerald: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% Governor William Milliken Republican Party (United States) William Milliken Republican Party (United States) The 1978 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican William Milliken defeated Democrat William B. Fitzgerald to win a third full term as governor. As of , this is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Wayne County has voted Republican and one of only two such instances since 1928.The other time Wayne County voted Republican was in 1946. Primary election Michigan held primary elections on August 8, 1978. Republican party Incumbent governor William Milliken was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Candidates William Milliken, incumbent Governor Results Republican primary resultsMichigan Manual 1979-1980 1979 Michigan Department of Management and Budget Lansing 533-535 Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, August 8, 1978 Republican Party (United States) William Milliken (inc.) 393,010 99.98% Republican Party (United States) Scattering 89 0.02% 393,099 100.00% Democratic party State senator William B. Fitzgerald defeated three other candidates including law professor and perennial candidate Zolton Ferency. Candidates Zolton Ferency, Michigan State University law professor and Democratic nominee in 1966 William B. Fitzgerald, member of Michigan Senate and former Senate Majority Leader Patrick McCollough, member of Michigan SenateLegislator Details https://mdoe.state.mi.us/legislators/Legislator/LegislatorDetail/2185 Library of Michigan 12 June 2026 William Ralls, former member of Michigan Public Service Commission28 Dem Lawmakers Back McCollough Bid https://www.newspapers.com/image/1185303987/ 12 June 2026 The Bay City Times 27 July 1978 Bay City 5-A Results Democratic primary results Democratic Party (United States) William B. Fitzgerald 240,641 39.79% Democratic Party (United States) Zolton Ferency 151,062 24.97% Democratic Party (United States) Patrick McCollough 108,742 17.98% Democratic Party (United States) William Ralls 104,364 17.25% Democratic Party (United States) Scattering 52 0.01% 604,861 100.00% General election Candidates William Milliken & James H. Brickley, Republican William B. Fitzgerald & Olivia P. Maynard, Democratic Results 1978 Michigan gubernatorial electionMichigan Manual 1979-1980 1979 Michigan Department of Management and Budget Lansing 609-610 Official Canvass of Votes, General Election, November 7, 1978 Republican Party (United States) William Milliken (inc.) 1,628,485 56.80% +5.73% Democratic Party (United States) William B. Fitzgerald 1,237,256 43.15% -3.60% Scattering 1,471 0.05% 391,229 13.64% 2,867,212 100.00% Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) +9.33% Results by county Despite his defeat, Fitzgerald flipped several counties that had not voted Democratic in a very long time. Before this election, Alcona County had not voted Democratic since 1878, Oscoda County had not since 1888, and Missaukee County had not since 1890. County William MillikenRepublican William B. FitzgeraldDemocratic ScatteringWrite-in Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Alcona1,86849.93%1,87049.99%30.08%-2-0.05%3,741Alger1,23735.90%2,20964.10%00.00%-972-28.21%3,446Allegan12,18152.63%10,95847.35%40.02%1,2235.28%23,143Alpena5,50150.21%5,45449.79%00.00%470.43%10,955Antrim3,65657.30%2,72542.70%00.00%93114.59%6,381Arenac2,27248.84%2,37951.14%10.02%-107-2.30%4,652Baraga1,39647.65%1,53452.35%00.00%-138-4.71%2,930Barry8,37754.83%6,88945.09%130.09%1,4889.74%15,279Bay18,76245.02%22,91554.98%00.00%-4,153-9.96%41,677Benzie2,70461.68%1,67638.23%40.09%1,02823.45%4,384Berrien29,57763.92%16,69436.08%30.01%12,88327.84%46,274Branch6,96859.97%4,65140.03%00.00%2,31719.94%11,619Calhoun23,99854.47%20,03845.48%190.04%3,9608.99%44,055Cass7,57260.50%4,94139.48%20.02%2,63121.02%12,515Charlevoix3,88352.22%3,55047.74%30.04%3334.48%7,436Cheboygan3,68850.90%3,55849.10%00.00%1301.79%7,246Chippewa5,48953.95%4,68646.05%00.00%8037.89%10,175Clare3,72948.23%3,99951.73%30.04%-270-3.49%7,731Clinton11,02659.73%7,42040.20%130.07%3,60619.54%18,459Crawford1,83453.08%1,62146.92%00.00%2136.16%3,455Delta5,69343.80%7,30456.19%10.01%-1,611-12.39%12,998Dickinson4,59547.62%5,05352.37%10.01%-458-4.75%9,649Eaton19,01564.17%10,61835.83%00.00%8,39728.34%29,633Emmet4,99559.24%3,43740.76%00.00%1,55818.48%8,432Genesee65,93650.62%64,29249.36%180.01%1,6441.26%130,246Gladwin2,89446.19%3,37153.81%00.00%-477-7.61%6,265Gogebic3,34440.24%4,96659.76%00.00%-1,622-19.52%8,310Grand Traverse11,99066.46%6,04233.49%80.04%5,94832.97%18,040Gratiot7,21560.69%4,67039.28%40.03%2,54521.41%11,889Hillsdale7,37261.79%4,55938.21%00.00%2,81323.58%11,931Houghton6,72954.15%5,69845.85%00.00%1,0318.30%12,427Huron7,44458.19%5,34941.81%00.00%2,09516.38%12,793Ingham68,33469.77%29,35629.97%2560.26%38,97839.80%97,946Ionia8,50053.75%7,31146.23%30.02%1,1897.52%15,814Iosco4,42353.35%3,85846.54%90.11%5656.82%8,290Iron2,56342.36%3,48857.64%00.00%-925-15.29%6,051Isabella9,03059.80%6,05440.09%160.11%2,97619.71%15,100Jackson27,47457.21%20,51342.72%340.07%6,96114.50%48,021Kalamazoo44,82564.88%24,22035.06%420.06%20,60529.82%69,087Kalkaska1,64246.24%1,90653.68%30.08%-264-7.43%3,551Kent85,29257.81%62,15342.13%820.06%23,13915.68%147,527Keweenaw54648.19%58751.81%00.00%-41-3.62%1,133Lake1,14839.53%1,75360.37%30.10%-605-20.83%2,904Lapeer10,85356.97%8,19843.03%00.00%2,65513.94%19,051Leelanau3,88262.80%2,29637.14%40.06%1,58625.66%6,182Lenawee14,78457.45%10,93642.50%140.05%3,84814.95%25,734Livingston19,01167.16%9,29232.82%50.02%9,71934.33%28,308Luce1,16859.38%79940.62%00.00%36918.76%1,967Mackinac2,32853.59%2,01646.41%00.00%3127.18%4,344Macomb119,33456.39%92,24143.59%430.02%27,09312.80%211,618Manistee4,26353.45%3,71246.55%00.00%5516.91%7,975Marquette10,20148.47%10,84751.53%00.00%-646-3.07%21,048Mason5,32356.68%4,06543.29%30.03%1,25813.40%9,391Mecosta6,15156.58%4,72143.42%00.00%1,43013.15%10,872Menominee3,56543.27%4,67456.73%00.00%-1,109-13.46%8,239Midland16,88664.33%9,34635.60%190.07%7,54028.72%26,251Missaukee1,76543.21%2,31356.62%70.17%-548-13.41%4,085Monroe16,93351.80%15,75048.18%70.02%1,1833.62%32,690Montcalm7,78255.78%6,16744.20%30.02%1,61511.58%13,952Montmorency1,47348.37%1,57251.63%00.00%-99-3.25%3,045Muskegon27,96052.65%25,14147.34%30.01%2,8195.31%53,104Newaygo6,06153.15%5,34246.85%00.00%7196.31%11,403Oakland225,87067.66%107,83032.30%1150.03%118,04035.36%333,815Oceana3,71151.09%3,54948.86%30.04%1622.23%7,263Ogemaw2,54541.72%3,54958.18%60.10%-1,004-16.46%6,100Ontonagon1,82841.91%2,53458.09%00.00%-706-16.19%4,362Osceola3,11351.78%2,86347.62%360.30%2504.16%6,012Oscoda61023.41%1,99676.59%00.00%-1,386-53.18%2,606Otsego3,15158.31%2,25341.69%00.00%89816.62%5,404Ottawa32,27160.42%21,13239.56%90.02%11,13920.85%53,412Presque Isle2,78546.76%3,16553.14%60.10%-380-6.38%5,956Roscommon3,60449.98%3,60750.02%00.00%-3-0.04%7,211Saginaw35,49153.02%31,44846.98%40.01%4,0436.04%66,943Sanilac9,09964.44%5,00735.46%150.11%4,09228.98%14,121Schoolcraft1,62948.18%1,75151.79%10.03%-122-3.61%3,381Shiawassee12,59454.60%10,46145.35%110.05%2,1339.25%23,066St. Clair23,28756.90%17,64043.10%00.00%5,64713.80%40,927St. Joseph9,08364.39%5,01335.54%100.07%4,07028.85%14,106Tuscola9,55856.86%7,25243.14%00.00%2,30613.72%16,810Van Buren10,17455.04%8,31144.96%00.00%1,86310.08%18,485Washtenaw57,60170.41%23,80829.10%4030.49%33,79341.31%81,812Wayne339,88450.40%334,24849.57%1880.03%5,6360.84%674,320Wexford4,15750.38%4,08649.52%80.10%710.86%8,251Total1,628,48556.80%1,237,25643.15%1,4710.05%391,22913.64%2,867,212 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Genesee Mackinac Monroe Muskegon Wayne Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Alcona Arenac Clare Keweenaw Missaukee Montmorency Ogemaw Oscoda Presque Isle Roscommon Notes References 1978 Governor Michigan Category:November 1978 in the United States