# 1998 Michigan gubernatorial election

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
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vte :
The 1998 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the state of Michigan. Incumbent Governor John Engler, a member of the Republican Party, was re-elected over Democratic Party nominee Geoffrey Fieger, a lawyer who had represented the assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian. As of 2025, this was the last time Genesee County and Washtenaw County voted for the Republican gubernatorial candidate.

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Gary Artinian
* John Engler, incumbent governor
Engler, a two-term incumbent, faced token opposition in the Republican primary, winning re-nomination with 90 percent of the vote. Following Lt. Gov. Connie Binsfeld's decision to not seek a third term, State Senate Majority Leader Dick Posthumus received the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.

### Results

Michigan gubernatorial Republican primary, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Engler (incumbent) | 477,628 | 89.6 |
| | Republican | Gary Artinian | 55,453 | 10.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 533,081 | 100.00 |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Geoffrey Fieger, attorney known for representing Jack Kevorkian
* Larry Owen, former Mayor of East Lansing
* Doug Ross
Early in the race, Owen was considered the front runner. But due to Fieger's notoriety and personal wealth, he surpassed his opponents. He ended spending almost $6 million of his own money in the race. Fieger won a close race, taking 41 percent of the vote. State Rep. Jim Agee, after securing the support from the Michigan Education Association was picked by Fieger to be his running mate, over Fieger's initial preferred choice state Rep. Candace Curtis.

### Results

Michigan gubernatorial Democratic primary, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Geoffrey Fieger | 300,458 | 41.2 |
| | Democratic | Larry Owen | 272,360 | 37.3 |
| | Democratic | Doug Ross | 156,847 | 21.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 729,665 | 100.00 |

## Results

Michigan gubernatorial election, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Engler (incumbent) | 1,883,005 | 62.20 |
| | Democratic | Geoffrey Fieger | 1,143,574 | 37.78 |
| | Write-In | Terry Link | 399 | 0.01 |
| | Write-In | Carl Humphrey | 36 | 0.00 |
| | Write-In | Vicki Foreback | 32 | 0.00 |
| | Write-In | Marc Katz | 20 | 0.00 |
| | Write-In | Robert Marek | 17 | 0.00 |
| | Write-In | Michael Wagonlander | 12 | 0.00 |
| | Write-In | Johnni Matthew III | 9 | 0.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 739,431 | 24.43% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### Results by county

| County | Engler | Votes | Fieger | Votes | Others | Votes |
| Alcona | 69.2% | 2,951 | 30.8% | 1,312 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Alger | 56.9% | 1,794 | 43.1% | 1,358 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Allegan | 77.8% | 24,121 | 22.2% | 6,896 | 0.0% | 4 |
| Alpena | 65.8% | 7,267 | 34.2% | 3,785 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Antrim | 68.5% | 5,748 | 31.5% | 2,641 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Arenac | 59.0% | 3,179 | 41.0% | 2,210 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Baraga | 53.6% | 1,338 | 46.4% | 1,157 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Barry | 71.4% | 13,148 | 28.6% | 5,259 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Bay | 60.8% | 23,343 | 39.2% | 15,017 | 0.0% | 12 |
| Benzie | 62.8% | 3,726 | 37.2% | 2,206 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Berrien | 73.5% | 30,380 | 26.5% | 10,971 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Branch | 70.3% | 7,623 | 29.7% | 3,216 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Calhoun | 67.2% | 25,955 | 32.8% | 12,661 | 0.0% | 5 |
| Cass | 72.7% | 9,177 | 27.3% | 3,438 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Charlevoix | 69.3% | 6,290 | 30.7% | 2,792 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Cheboygan | 67.7% | 6,036 | 32.3% | 2,875 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Chippewa | 61.3% | 6,613 | 38.7% | 4,180 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Clare | 61.3% | 5,649 | 38.7% | 3,561 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Clinton | 73.8% | 17,696 | 26.0% | 6,222 | 0.2% | 56 |
| Crawford | 62.5% | 3,051 | 37.5% | 1,831 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Delta | 59.3% | 7,410 | 40.7% | 5,080 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Dickinson | 63.0% | 6,183 | 37.0% | 3,638 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Eaton | 68.4% | 24,778 | 31.6% | 11,436 | 0.0% | 8 |
| Emmet | 73.8% | 7,765 | 26.2% | 2,758 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Genesee | 51.2% | 69,799 | 48.8% | 66,608 | 0.0% | 10 |
| Gladwin | 63.7% | 5,573 | 36.3% | 3,177 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Gogebic | 51.0% | 3,020 | 49.0% | 2,905 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Grand Traverse | 71.6% | 20,462 | 28.4% | 8,101 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Gratiot | 71.1% | 7,998 | 28.9% | 3,245 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Hillsdale | 73.1% | 9,027 | 26.9% | 3,325 | 0.0% | 5 |
| Houghton | 60.9% | 6,443 | 39.1% | 4,131 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Huron | 76.1% | 9,264 | 23.9% | 2,902 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Ingham | 60.1% | 53,905 | 39.7% | 35,584 | 0.2% | 151 |
| Ionia | 71.2% | 12,324 | 28.8% | 4,996 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Iosco | 66.5% | 6,457 | 33.5% | 3,252 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Iron | 54.3% | 2,715 | 45.7% | 2,282 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Isabella | 63.7% | 9,423 | 36.3% | 5,361 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Jackson | 67.3% | 31,330 | 32.7% | 15,229 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Kalamazoo | 67.6% | 46,443 | 32.4% | 22,275 | 0.0% | 6 |
| Kalkaska | 63.1% | 3,155 | 36.9% | 1,844 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Kent | 76.6% | 133,120 | 23.4% | 40,709 | 0.0% | 8 |
| Keweenaw | 56.3% | 566 | 43.7% | 440 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Lake | 53.5% | 1,832 | 46.5% | 1,593 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Lapeer | 65.6% | 17,382 | 34.4% | 9,106 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Leelanau | 70.9% | 6,577 | 29.1% | 2,705 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Lenawee | 63.3% | 18,137 | 36.7% | 10,494 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Livingston | 73.8% | 37,458 | 26.2% | 13,283 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Luce | 58.0% | 1,130 | 42.0% | 819 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Mackinac | 64.7% | 3,054 | 35.3% | 1,666 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Macomb | 67.5% | 166,920 | 32.5% | 80,438 | 0.0% | 18 |
| Manistee | 62.8% | 5,493 | 37.2% | 3,247 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Marquette | 51.6% | 11,157 | 48.4% | 10,460 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Mason | 66.1% | 6,391 | 33.9% | 3,277 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Mecosta | 67.2% | 7,065 | 32.8% | 3,446 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Menominee | 65.7% | 4,579 | 34.3% | 2,391 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Midland | 73.6% | 20,737 | 26.4% | 7,445 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Missaukee | 72.8% | 3,629 | 27.2% | 1,346 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Monroe | 65.0% | 26,690 | 35.0% | 14,401 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Montcalm | 68.6% | 11,069 | 31.4% | 5,058 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Montmorency | 65.0% | 2,499 | 35.0% | 1,346 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Muskegon | 60.5% | 29,660 | 39.5% | 19,331 | 0.0% | 2 |
| Newaygo | 69.0% | 9,776 | 31.0% | 4,392 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Oakland | 66.3% | 264,551 | 33.7% | 134,215 | 0.0% | 120 |
| Oceana | 67.5% | 5,231 | 32.5% | 2,520 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Ogemaw | 62.3% | 4,796 | 37.7% | 2,899 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Ontonagon | 51.8% | 1,553 | 48.2% | 1,442 | 0.0% | 1 |
| Osceola | 66.5% | 4,918 | 33.5% | 2,482 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Oscoda | 64.9% | 2,017 | 35.1% | 1,091 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Otsego | 71.6% | 5,525 | 28.4% | 2,195 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Ottawa | 85.4% | 67,054 | 14.6% | 11,451 | 0.0% | 9 |
| Presque Isle | 67.1% | 3,871 | 32.9% | 1,899 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Roscommon | 63.7% | 6,320 | 36.3% | 3,608 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Saginaw | 63.4% | 43,766 | 36.6% | 25,213 | 0.0% | 9 |
| St. Clair | 64.1% | 32,299 | 35.9% | 18,025 | 0.0% | 0 |
| St. Joseph | 74.9% | 11,026 | 25.1% | 3,703 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Sanilac | 71.1% | 9,941 | 28.8% | 4,023 | 0.1% | 8 |
| Schoolcraft | 55.5% | 1,594 | 44.5% | 1,277 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Shiawassee | 66.3% | 16,465 | 33.6% | 8,347 | 0.1% | 18 |
| Tuscola | 66.7% | 12,074 | 33.3% | 6,027 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Van Buren | 67.8% | 13,715 | 32.2% | 6,499 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Washtenaw | 57.0% | 53,227 | 43.0% | 40,078 | 0.0% | 32 |
| Wayne | 42.9% | 243,235 | 57.1% | 324,351 | 0.0% | 17 |
| Wexford | 67.1% | 6,347 | 32.8% | 3,108 | 0.1% | 10 |