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 1972. As of 2020, this is the last Senate election in Michigan won by a Republican.
Background
Riegle, a 3-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]
Candidates
Democratic
- Bob Carr, U.S. Representative
Republican
- Spencer Abraham, former chairman of the
Michigan Republican Party
Libertarian
- Jon Coon
Workers World
- William Roundtree
Natural Law
- Chris Wege
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Spencer Abraham | 1,578,770 | 51.9 | |
| Democratic | Bob Carr | 1,300,960 | 42.8 | |
| Libertarian | Jon Coon | 128,393 | 4.2 | |
| Workers World | William Roundtree | 20,010 | 0.7 | |
| Natural Law | Chris Wege | 14,746 | 0.5 | |
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.
- ^ Parker, Randy (May 27, 2003). "Our Campaigns: MI U.S. Senate". Our Campaigns.