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November 2, 1954
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 County results Williams: 50–60% 60–70% Leonard: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1954 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Democrat G. Mennen Williams defeated Republican nominee Donald S. Leonard with 55.61% of the vote.
Primary election
Michigan held primary elections on August 3, 1954.
Democratic party
Incumbent governor G. Mennen Williams was renominated for a fourth consecutive term without opposition.
Candidates
- G. Mennen Williams, incumbent governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (inc.) | 426,660 | 99.99% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 20 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 426,680 | 100.00% | ||
Republican party
Donald S. Leonard, who lost the Republican gubernatorial primary in the previous election, secured the Republican primary from a crowded field.
Candidates
- D. Hale Brake, Michigan State Treasurer
- Owen J. Cleary, Michigan Secretary of State
- Eugene C. Keyes, former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
- Donald S. Leonard, former Chief of the Detroit Police Department and former Michigan State Police commissioner[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald S. Leonard | 188,054 | 40.25% | |
| Republican | D. Hale Brake | 112,797 | 24.14% | |
| Republican | Owen J. Cleary | 95,825 | 20.51% | |
| Republican | Eugene C. Keyes | 70,569 | 15.10% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 19 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 467,264 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- G. Mennen Williams, Democratic
- Donald S. Leonard, Republican
Other candidates
- E. Harold Munn, Prohibition
- Theos A. Grove, Socialist Labor
- Frank Lovell, Socialist Workers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (inc.) | 1,216,308 | 55.61% | +5.65% | |
| Republican | Donald S. Leonard | 963,300 | 44.05% | −5.61% | |
| Prohibition | E. Harold Munn | 5,824 | 0.27% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Theos A. Grove | 980 | 0.04% | +0.00% | |
| Socialist Workers | Frank Lovell | 615 | 0.03% | +0.01% | |
| Majority | 253,008 | 11.57% | |||
| Total votes | 2,187,027 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | +11.27% | |||
Results by county
After this election, Cheboygan County, Ingham County, and Manistee County would not vote Democratic again until 1982.
| County[3] | G. Mennen Williams Democratic |
Donald S. Leonard Republican |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 958 | 41.58% | 1,336 | 57.99% | 10 | 0.43% | -378 | -16.41% | 2,304 |
| Alger | 2,290 | 64.36% | 1,256 | 35.30% | 12 | 0.34% | 1,034 | 29.06% | 3,558 |
| Allegan | 5,532 | 34.83% | 10,308 | 64.91% | 41 | 0.26% | -4,776 | -30.07% | 15,881 |
| Alpena | 3,471 | 47.49% | 3,827 | 52.36% | 11 | 0.15% | -356 | -4.87% | 7,309 |
| Antrim | 1,497 | 39.21% | 2,305 | 60.37% | 16 | 0.42% | -808 | -21.16% | 3,818 |
| Arenac | 1,705 | 48.44% | 1,808 | 51.36% | 7 | 0.20% | -103 | -2.93% | 3,520 |
| Baraga | 2,090 | 59.89% | 1,396 | 40.00% | 4 | 0.11% | 694 | 19.89% | 3,490 |
| Barry | 3,552 | 37.93% | 5,756 | 61.46% | 57 | 0.61% | -2,204 | -23.53% | 9,365 |
| Bay | 15,702 | 54.81% | 12,872 | 44.93% | 72 | 0.25% | 2,830 | 9.88% | 28,646 |
| Benzie | 1,137 | 39.70% | 1,690 | 59.01% | 37 | 1.29% | -553 | -19.31% | 2,864 |
| Berrien | 17,472 | 45.10% | 21,212 | 54.76% | 53 | 0.14% | -3,740 | -9.65% | 38,737 |
| Branch | 3,877 | 41.07% | 5,505 | 58.31% | 59 | 0.62% | -1,628 | -17.24% | 9,441 |
| Calhoun | 18,581 | 50.94% | 17,775 | 48.73% | 119 | 0.33% | 806 | 2.21% | 36,475 |
| Cass | 4,717 | 45.25% | 5,680 | 54.49% | 27 | 0.26% | -963 | -9.24% | 10,424 |
| Charlevoix | 2,065 | 44.46% | 2,549 | 54.88% | 31 | 0.67% | -484 | -10.42% | 4,645 |
| Cheboygan | 2,804 | 52.65% | 2,502 | 46.98% | 20 | 0.38% | 302 | 5.67% | 5,326 |
| Chippewa | 4,503 | 50.93% | 4,326 | 48.93% | 13 | 0.15% | 177 | 2.00% | 8,842 |
| Clare | 1,349 | 38.41% | 2,158 | 61.45% | 5 | 0.14% | -809 | -23.04% | 3,512 |
| Clinton | 3,697 | 37.00% | 6,256 | 62.60% | 40 | 0.40% | -2,559 | -25.61% | 9,993 |
| Crawford | 706 | 48.22% | 753 | 51.43% | 5 | 0.34% | -47 | -3.21% | 1,464 |
| Delta | 7,204 | 61.91% | 4,417 | 37.96% | 15 | 0.13% | 2,787 | 23.95% | 11,636 |
| Dickinson | 6,026 | 61.26% | 3,800 | 38.63% | 10 | 0.10% | 2,226 | 22.63% | 9,836 |
| Eaton | 6,190 | 44.20% | 7,763 | 55.44% | 50 | 0.36% | -1,573 | -11.23% | 14,003 |
| Emmet | 2,532 | 44.62% | 3,125 | 55.08% | 17 | 0.30% | -593 | -10.45% | 5,674 |
| Genesee | 51,339 | 56.35% | 39,513 | 43.37% | 261 | 0.29% | 11,826 | 12.98% | 91,113 |
| Gladwin | 1,394 | 41.33% | 1,963 | 58.20% | 16 | 0.47% | -569 | -16.87% | 3,373 |
| Gogebic | 7,498 | 63.64% | 4,252 | 36.09% | 32 | 0.27% | 3,246 | 27.55% | 11,782 |
| Grand Traverse | 3,678 | 40.72% | 5,336 | 59.07% | 19 | 0.21% | -1,658 | -18.35% | 9,033 |
| Gratiot | 3,473 | 35.49% | 6,263 | 64.00% | 50 | 0.51% | -2,790 | -28.51% | 9,786 |
| Hillsdale | 4,717 | 38.89% | 7,242 | 59.70% | 171 | 1.41% | -2,525 | -20.82% | 12,130 |
| Houghton | 7,958 | 56.62% | 6,074 | 43.21% | 24 | 0.17% | 1,884 | 13.40% | 14,056 |
| Huron | 3,603 | 33.34% | 7,184 | 66.47% | 21 | 0.19% | -3,581 | -33.13% | 10,808 |
| Ingham | 29,444 | 50.44% | 28,724 | 49.21% | 206 | 0.35% | 720 | 1.23% | 58,374 |
| Ionia | 5,618 | 45.45% | 6,690 | 54.12% | 53 | 0.43% | -1,072 | -8.67% | 12,361 |
| Iosco | 1,727 | 40.07% | 2,579 | 59.84% | 4 | 0.09% | -852 | -19.77% | 4,310 |
| Iron | 5,257 | 62.60% | 3,118 | 37.13% | 23 | 0.27% | 2,139 | 25.47% | 8,398 |
| Isabella | 3,715 | 44.53% | 4,595 | 55.08% | 32 | 0.38% | -880 | -10.55% | 8,342 |
| Jackson | 15,875 | 44.12% | 19,953 | 55.46% | 151 | 0.42% | -4,078 | -11.33% | 35,979 |
| Kalamazoo | 16,795 | 41.00% | 24,012 | 58.61% | 161 | 0.39% | -7,217 | -17.62% | 40,968 |
| Kalkaska | 783 | 46.91% | 881 | 52.79% | 5 | 0.30% | -98 | -5.87% | 1,669 |
| Kent | 43,802 | 44.02% | 55,284 | 55.56% | 424 | 0.43% | -11,482 | -11.54% | 99,510 |
| Keweenaw | 840 | 61.54% | 522 | 38.24% | 3 | 0.22% | 318 | 23.30% | 1,365 |
| Lake | 1,320 | 55.32% | 1,060 | 44.43% | 6 | 0.25% | 260 | 10.90% | 2,386 |
| Lapeer | 4,068 | 39.15% | 6,284 | 60.48% | 39 | 0.38% | -2,216 | -21.33% | 10,391 |
| Leelanau | 1,226 | 39.37% | 1,882 | 60.44% | 6 | 0.19% | -656 | -21.07% | 3,114 |
| Lenawee | 7,456 | 36.96% | 12,659 | 62.76% | 56 | 0.28% | -5,203 | -25.79% | 20,171 |
| Livingston | 3,980 | 38.04% | 6,449 | 61.64% | 34 | 0.32% | -2,469 | -23.60% | 10,463 |
| Luce | 720 | 44.33% | 903 | 55.60% | 1 | 0.06% | -183 | -11.27% | 1,624 |
| Mackinac | 1,633 | 47.58% | 1,786 | 52.04% | 13 | 0.38% | -153 | -4.46% | 3,432 |
| Macomb | 41,161 | 64.90% | 22,063 | 34.79% | 194 | 0.31% | 19,098 | 30.11% | 63,418 |
| Manistee | 3,436 | 51.01% | 3,293 | 48.89% | 7 | 0.10% | 143 | 2.12% | 6,736 |
| Marquette | 10,866 | 59.26% | 7,448 | 40.62% | 23 | 0.13% | 3,418 | 18.64% | 18,337 |
| Mason | 3,588 | 49.27% | 3,683 | 50.57% | 12 | 0.16% | -95 | -1.30% | 7,283 |
| Mecosta | 2,149 | 39.15% | 3,312 | 60.34% | 28 | 0.51% | -1,163 | -21.19% | 5,489 |
| Menominee | 5,016 | 55.40% | 4,015 | 44.35% | 23 | 0.25% | 1,001 | 11.06% | 9,054 |
| Midland | 4,883 | 41.73% | 6,774 | 57.89% | 44 | 0.38% | -1,891 | -16.16% | 11,701 |
| Missaukee | 890 | 32.27% | 1,859 | 67.40% | 9 | 0.33% | -969 | -35.13% | 2,758 |
| Monroe | 12,390 | 54.36% | 10,301 | 45.19% | 103 | 0.45% | 2,089 | 9.16% | 22,794 |
| Montcalm | 4,312 | 42.04% | 5,906 | 57.59% | 38 | 0.37% | -1,594 | -15.54% | 10,256 |
| Montmorency | 719 | 44.38% | 897 | 55.37% | 4 | 0.25% | -178 | -10.99% | 1,620 |
| Muskegon | 23,022 | 58.00% | 16,458 | 41.46% | 214 | 0.54% | 6,564 | 16.54% | 39,694 |
| Newaygo | 2,811 | 38.34% | 4,498 | 61.35% | 23 | 0.31% | -1,687 | -23.01% | 7,332 |
| Oakland | 75,625 | 49.67% | 76,210 | 50.05% | 428 | 0.28% | -585 | -0.38% | 152,263 |
| Oceana | 2,056 | 41.71% | 2,849 | 57.80% | 24 | 0.49% | -793 | -16.09% | 4,929 |
| Ogemaw | 1,447 | 44.28% | 1,798 | 55.02% | 23 | 0.70% | -351 | -10.74% | 3,268 |
| Ontonagon | 2,604 | 57.14% | 1,949 | 42.77% | 4 | 0.09% | 655 | 14.37% | 4,557 |
| Osceola | 1,481 | 32.95% | 2,985 | 66.41% | 29 | 0.65% | -1,504 | -33.46% | 4,495 |
| Oscoda | 499 | 43.05% | 656 | 56.60% | 4 | 0.35% | -157 | -13.55% | 1,159 |
| Otsego | 1,221 | 49.39% | 1,247 | 50.44% | 4 | 0.16% | -26 | -1.05% | 2,472 |
| Ottawa | 12,487 | 39.69% | 18,865 | 59.96% | 111 | 0.35% | -6,378 | -20.27% | 31,463 |
| Presque Isle | 2,204 | 54.78% | 1,815 | 45.12% | 4 | 0.10% | 389 | 9.67% | 4,023 |
| Roscommon | 1,061 | 39.86% | 1,592 | 59.80% | 9 | 0.34% | -531 | -19.95% | 2,662 |
| Saginaw | 23,829 | 48.39% | 25,183 | 51.14% | 231 | 0.47% | -1,354 | -2.75% | 49,243 |
| Sanilac | 3,553 | 30.15% | 8,201 | 69.59% | 30 | 0.25% | -4,648 | -39.44% | 11,784 |
| Schoolcraft | 2,096 | 56.28% | 1,625 | 43.64% | 3 | 0.08% | 471 | 12.65% | 3,724 |
| Shiawassee | 6,504 | 43.64% | 8,273 | 55.50% | 128 | 0.86% | -1,769 | -11.87% | 14,905 |
| St. Clair | 13,858 | 44.87% | 16,986 | 55.00% | 40 | 0.13% | -3,128 | -10.13% | 30,884 |
| St. Joseph | 4,476 | 37.19% | 7,488 | 62.22% | 71 | 0.59% | -3,012 | -25.03% | 12,035 |
| Tuscola | 3,631 | 31.14% | 7,999 | 68.60% | 31 | 0.27% | -4,368 | -37.46% | 11,661 |
| Van Buren | 5,746 | 39.05% | 8,929 | 60.68% | 39 | 0.27% | -3,183 | -21.63% | 14,714 |
| Washtenaw | 16,896 | 42.29% | 22,933 | 57.40% | 126 | 0.32% | -6,037 | -15.11% | 39,955 |
| Wayne | 569,298 | 67.91% | 266,284 | 31.76% | 2,777 | 0.33% | 303,014 | 36.14% | 838,359 |
| Wexford | 2,917 | 46.31% | 3,343 | 53.07% | 39 | 0.62% | -426 | -6.76% | 6,299 |
| Total | 1,216,308 | 55.61% | 963,300 | 44.05% | 7,419 | 0.34% | 253,008 | 11.57% | 2,187,027 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
References
- Hare, James M. (1955). "Official Canvass of Votes, Primary Election, August 3, 1954". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1955-1956. pp. 383–385. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- "Donald S. Leonard Papers, 1925-1966". University of Michigan Library. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- Hare, James M. (1955). "Official Canvass of Votes, General Election, November 2, 1954". Michigan Official Directory and Legislative Manual 1955-1956. pp. 415–416. Retrieved June 11, 2026.