| Elections in Michigan |
|---|
 |
The 1994 United States Senate election in Michigan was held November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Don Riegle decided to retire and not run for re-election. Republican Spencer Abraham won the open seat, becoming the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since Robert P. Griffin in 1972 and the first to win the state's Class I seat since Charles E. Potter in 1952. As of 2024, this was the only time since 1972 that Republicans won a U.S. Senate election in Michigan.
Background
Riegle, a three term incumbent, was considered one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats in the 1994 mid-term elections, due to the unpopularity of President Bill Clinton[1] and his being involved as a member of the Keating Five, a group of five United States Senators who were accused of corruption. After months of speculation, Riegle announced he would not seek a 4th term in a speech on the Senate floor.[2]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- William Brodhead, former U.S. Representative from Detroit
- Bob Carr, U.S. Representative from East Lansing
- Joel Ferguson, businessman and member of the Democratic National Committee
- John F. Kelly, State Senator from Grosse Pointe Woods
- Carl Marlinga, Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney
- Lana Pollack, State Senator from Ann Arbor
Declined
- Donald W. Riegle, incumbent Senator since 1977
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Carr | 157,585 | 24.02% | |
| Democratic | Lana Pollack | 151,323 | 23.06% | |
| Democratic | Joel Ferguson | 130,125 | 19.83% | |
| Democratic | William Brodhead | 94,601 | 14.42% | |
| Democratic | John F. Kelly | 71,964 | 10.97% | |
| Democratic | Carl Marlinga | 50,329 | 7.67% | |
| Write-in | 271 | 0.04% | ||
| Total votes | 656,198 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Spencer Abraham, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party
- Ronna Romney, conservative radio talk show host
Campaign
The Republican primary campaign amicably divided the Romney family. Though Ronna Romney had divorced Scott Romney two years prior, Scott's brother Mitt Romney (also a candidate for the United States Senate in Massachusetts) returned to Michigan to campaign for her.[4][5] Scott and Mitt's father George W. Romney, the former Governor of Michigan, endorsed Abraham, having promised Abraham the endorsement prior to her candidacy.[4][6] Her daughter, the future Chairman of the Republican National Committee Ronna Romney McDaniel, volunteered as a driver during her campaign.[7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Spencer Abraham | 292,399 | 51.95% | |
| Republican | Ronna Romney | 270,304 | 48.02% | |
| Write-in | 202 | 0.04% | ||
| Total votes | 562,905 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Spencer Abraham, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party (Republican)
- Bob Carr, U.S. Representative from East Lansing (Democratic)
- Jon Coon (Libertarian)
- William Roundtree (Workers' World)
- Chris Wege (Natural Law)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Spencer Abraham | 1,578,770 | 51.88% | |||
| Democratic | Bob Carr | 1,300,960 | 42.75% | |||
| Libertarian | Jon Coon | 128,393 | 4.22% | |||
| Workers World | William Roundtree | 20,010 | 0.66% | |||
| Natural Law | Chris Wege | 14,746 | 0.48% | |||
| Write-in | 506 | 0.02% | ||||
| Total votes | 3,043,385 | 100.00% | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
See also
References
- ^ Richard L. Berke (July 27, 1993). "Senate Democrats See Re-election Perils in '94". New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
- ^ William J. Eaton (September 29, 1993). "Riegle Is 3rd Keating Case Senator to Not Seek Office". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
- ^ "MI US Senate- D Primary". OurCampaigns.com. January 2, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Mitt Romney stuck in family political drama on this date 18 years ago". Boston.com. July 26, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "Romney to stump for former in-law; His father backs rival Mich. hopeful". July 26, 1994. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "A complicated Romney family". POLITICO. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "Latest Romney in politics is not a candidate". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "MI US Senate- R Primary". OurCampaigns.com. January 2, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ Parker, Randy (May 27, 2003). "Our Campaigns: MI U.S. Senate". Our Campaigns.
- ^ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. "STATISTICS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 8, 1994" (PDF). United States House of Representatives. p. 17,19. Retrieved November 16, 2020.