Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Michigan gubernatorial election, 2006
| State Executives |
|---|
 |
| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
The 2006 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic governor Jennifer Granholm was elected to a second four-year term, defeating businessman and Republican candidate Dick DeVos.
Background
During her first term as governor, Granholm was faced with Republican majorities in both houses of the state legislature. By early 2006, Michigan had the highest unemployment and lowest job creation of any state. In June 2005, Granholm received her only Republican challenger when Dick DeVos entered the race for governor. DeVos was the son of Amway co-founder and Orlando Magic owner Richard DeVos Sr., as well as a former member of the state Board of Education.
Campaign
DeVos aired his first televised campaign ads in February 2006, pointing to Michigan's slow economy and high unemployment while touting his business credentials. This early advertising boosted his low name recognition, and by early summer, he was leading Granholm in a number of polls. Granholm ran a quiet campaign for most of this time, with the exception of a summer ad buy from the Michigan Democratic Party. Meanwhile, DeVos and other Republicans attacked Granholm throughout the campaign for her opposition to repealing the Single Business Tax and slow response to aid Michigan's ailing economy. Instead, Granholm blamed President George W. Bush and former Governor John Engler for the economic struggles and suggested that DeVos would continue their policies.
By the end of the summer, Granholm had retaken a small lead in some polls, and in early September, Granholm's campaign began airing its first campaign ads. These ads, along with those of the state Democratic party, attacked DeVos's tenure at Amway, accusing the company of shipping jobs to China while cutting 1,400 jobs in Michigan. DeVos responded to these charges by claiming that Amway had simply expanded operations to sell its products in China, an action that required them by law to open a Chinese factory. Several hundred Michigan jobs were created to oversee Amway's Chinese sales, and no products made in China were sold in the United States. Granholm countered this latter claim with an ad featuring a Chinese-made teddy bear sold by Amway's Quixtar division.
Results
Republican Primary
General Election
See also
External links
Footnotes
