# 1976 United States Senate election in Michigan

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vte :
The 1976 United States Senate election in Michigan took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Philip Hart decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term because he had terminal cancer. Republican turned Democrat Representative Donald Riegle won the open seat, keeping it in Democrats' hands despite Gerald Ford's victory in the concurrent presidential election.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Richard H. Austin, Michigan Secretary of State
* James L. Elsman
* James G. O'Hara, U.S. Representative from Utica
* Donald Riegle, U.S. Representative from Flint

### Results

1976 Democratic U.S. Senate primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Donald Riegle | 325,705 | 44.31% |
| | Democratic | Richard H. Austin | 208,310 | 28.34% |
| | Democratic | James G. O'Hara | 170,473 | 23.19% |
| | Democratic | James L. Elsman | 30,655 | 4.17% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 735,143 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Deane Baker
* Thomas E. Brennan, former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court
* Marvin L. Esch, U.S. Representative from Ann Arbor
* Robert J. Huber, former U.S. Representative from Troy and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1970

### Results

1976 Republican U.S. Senate primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Marvin L. Esch | 209,250 | 44.23% |
| | Republican | Thomas E. Brennan | 129,917 | 27.46% |
| | Republican | Robert J. Huber | 82,092 | 17.35% |
| | Republican | Deane Baker | 51,852 | 10.96% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 473,111 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Results

General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Don Riegle | 1,831,031 | 52.46% | 14.38 |
| | Republican | Marvin Esch | 1,635,087 | 46.85% | 13.96 |
| | Libertarian | Bette Jane Erwin | 8,842 | 0.25% | N/A |
| | Human Rights | Theodore G. Albert | 7,281 | 0.21% | N/A |
| | Socialist Workers | Paula L. Reimers | 3,399 | 0.10% | 0.05 |
| | Socialist Labor | Frank Girard | 2,554 | 0.07% | 0.06 |
| | U.S. Labor | Peter A. Signorelli | 2,218 | 0.06% | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,490,412 | 100.00% | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | | |

## Aftermath

Incumbent Senator Hart died of melanoma on December 26, and Riegle was appointed to finish the remaining days of his final term in office, giving him seniority over his freshman colleagues.