The 2022 Michigan gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Michigan. Incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer ran for election to a second term, and faced former political commentator Tudor Dixon in the general election.
Whitmer defeated Dixon by a margin of nearly 11 percentage points, a wider margin than polls indicated as well as a wider margin than Whitmer's first victory four years prior. Whitmer won independent voters by double-digit margins. This was the first gubernatorial election in Michigan history in which both major party candidates were women.
Background
Process for ballot appearance and fraud allegations
In order to appear on a primary ballot for the August 2 Democratic and Republican primaries, candidates must submit between 15,000 and 30,000 signatures in addition to their filing paperwork. These signatures are submitted to the Board of State Canvassers, a bipartisan and independent board that verifies petition signatures. Within seven days of the filing deadline, citizens and organizations can challenge nomination signatures submitted by candidates. Voters are only allowed to sign one nomination petition.
After the filing deadline, the Board of State Canvassers received nearly 30 challenges to nomination petitions. Among them, the Michigan Democratic Party alleged that several Republican candidates engaged in signature fraud with their petitions. This was followed by a report by the Michigan Bureau of Elections, which alleged that 36 paid signature circulators faked signatures and engaged in practices that added fraudulent signatures to other candidate's petitions.
An eight-hour meeting of the Board of State Canvassers reached a deadlock on whether to allow the candidates in question to stay on the ballot. Due to the deadlock, the candidates in question were not allowed to appear on the primary ballot. The rushed pace of the proceedings and the decision were criticized by Common Cause of Michigan, whose policy director suggested that the candidates in question had to plead their cases to the Board of Canvassers days after finding out about the alleged fraud themselves.
Several candidates filed lawsuits appealing the decision. These suits were rejected in the Michigan Court of Appeals. Three candidates appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court, but these appeals were denied.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Gretchen Whitmer, incumbent governor (2019–present) and vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (2021–present)
- Running mate: Garlin Gilchrist, incumbent lieutenant governor (2019–present)
Endorsements
Gretchen Whitmer
Republican primary
Fourteen people declared their candidacy for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. At the filing deadline, 10 candidates submitted enough signatures to appear on the ballot, a state record. However, following challenges by the state Democratic party and other organizations, five candidates were deemed ineligible to appear on the ballot due to alleged fraudulent signatures. Several of these candidates, including former Detroit police chief James Craig and Michael Markey, pledged to appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court. Craig also mentioned that, should the appeal fail, he would still plan to run as a write-in candidate for both the primary and the general election. On June 15, 2022, Craig announced he was launching a write-in campaign for the nomination.
On June 9, 2022, candidate Ryan Kelley was arrested by the FBI following numerous tips that he had participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. The criminal complaint alleges that Kelley engaged in disorderly conduct on restricted grounds and engaged in acts of violence against a person or property. He agreed in June 2023 to plead guilty on a lesser charge in relation to his participation in the insurrection.
On August 19, 2022, Dixon announced former state representative Shane Hernandez as her running mate. However, shortly after, former gubernatorial candidates Ralph Rebandt and Garrett Soldano both announced that they were exploring the possibility of launching their own campaigns for lieutenant governor to contest Hernandez at the August 27 state GOP convention for not being conservative enough. On August 22, 2022, Soldano announced that he would not seek the position of lieutenant governor at the convention. Later that same day, Rebandt announced that he would seek the nomination at the convention. Hernandez secured his party's nomination at the convention, despite heated opposition from supporters of Rebandt.
On June 22, 2023, charges were filed against three individuals regarding the fraudulent signatures that disqualified five of the candidates in the Republican primary.
Candidates
Nominee
- Tudor Dixon, conservative media personality
- Running mate: Shane Hernandez, former state representative from the 83rd district (2017–2021) and candidate for Michigan's 10th congressional district in 2020
Eliminated in primary
- Ryan Kelley, Allendale Township Planning commissioner
- Running mate: Jamie Swafford, ethnic vice-chair of the Michigan Republican Party
- Ralph Rebandt, Farmington Hills pastor
- Kevin Rinke, businessman
- Garrett Soldano, chiropractor, businessman and former co-chairman of Unlock Michigan
Disqualified, write-in campaign
- Donna Brandenburg, businesswoman (became U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee after disqualification)
- Mike Brown, captain in the Michigan State Police (endorsed Kevin Rinke)
- James Craig, former chief of the Detroit Police Department (2013–2021)
- Perry Johnson, businessman
- Michael Jay Markey Jr., businessman and media personality
Failed to qualify
- Bob Scott, jelly maker and vice president of the Evangelical Alliance Ministerial Association
- Evan Space, Michigan Army National Guard veteran and candidate for governor in 2018
Withdrawn
- Articia Bomer, Detroit document specialist (ran unsuccessfully for Michigan's 13th congressional district)
- Austin Chenge, businessman and U.S. Army veteran
Declined
- Tom Barrett, state senator from the 24th district (2019–2023) (running for Michigan's 7th congressional district)
- Jack Bergman, U.S. representative for Michigan's 1st congressional district (2017–present) (running for re-election) (endorsed James Craig, later switched to Perry Johnson)
- Betsy DeVos, former U.S. secretary of education (2017–2021) and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party (1996–2000, 2003–2005)
- Bill Huizenga, U.S. representative for Michigan's 2nd congressional district (2011–present) (running for re-election) (endorsed Tudor Dixon)
- John James, businessman, former U.S. Army captain and Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020 (running for Michigan's 10th congressional district)
- Tom Leonard, former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives (2017–2019) and nominee for attorney general in 2018 (ran unsuccessfully for attorney general)
- Lisa McClain, U.S. representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district (2021–present) (running for re-election) (endorsed Tudor Dixon)
- Candice Miller, Macomb County Public Works commissioner (2017–present), former U.S. representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district (2003–2016), and former Michigan secretary of state (1995–2003)
- Mike Shirkey, majority leader of the Michigan Senate (2019–present) and former state representative from the 65th district (2010–2014) (endorsed Tudor Dixon)
Endorsements
Mike Brown (disqualified)
State representatives
- Beth Griffin, state representative from Michigan's 66th district (2017–present)
- Pauline Wendzel, state representative from Michigan's 79th district (2019–present)
Local officials
- Mac Elliot, Berrien County commissioner
- Scott Hodshire, Hillsdale County sheriff
- Mark Lillywhite, St. Joseph County sheriff
- Steve Pierangeli, Berrien County prosecutor
Individuals
- Ted Nugent, singer-songwriter and conservative political activist (switched endorsement to Rinke)
Tudor Dixon
U.S. executive branch officials
- Betsy DeVos, 11th secretary of education
- Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)
State officials
- John Engler, former governor of Michigan (1991–2003) (previously endorsed Craig)
U.S. representatives
- Tulsi Gabbard, former U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district (2013–2021)
- Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1995–1999) and former U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district (1979–1999)
- Bill Huizenga, U.S. representative for Michigan's 2nd congressional district (2011–2023)
- Lisa McClain, U.S. representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district (2021–2023)
State senators
- Mike Shirkey, majority leader of the Michigan Senate (2019–2023)
Individuals
- Dick DeVos, businessman and nominee for governor of Michigan in 2006
Organizations
- American Conservative Union
- Veterans for Trump, aka Veterans for America First
Newspapers
- The Detroit News (Republican primary only)
Michael Jay Markey Jr. (disqualified)
- Tom George, former state senator for Michigan's 20th district (2003–2010)
Kevin Rinke
Individuals
- Ted Nugent, singer-songwriter and conservative political activist (previously endorsed Brown)
Newspapers
- Detroit Free Press (Republican primary only)
Polling
Aggregate polls
Libertarian convention
Candidates
Nominated
- Mary Buzuma, nominee for governor in 2014
- Running mate: Brian Ellison, nominee for Michigan's 8th congressional district in 2018
Constitution convention
Candidates
Nominee
- Donna Brandenburg, businesswoman (nominated following disqualification from GOP ballot)
- Running mate: Mellissa Carone, 2020 election hearing witness for Rudy Giuliani
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Gretchen Whitmer (D)
U.S. executive branch officials
- Joe Biden, 46th president of the United States (2021–2025), 47th vice president of the United States (2009–2017), U.S. senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
- Pete Buttigieg, 19th United States secretary of transportation (2021–2025), and mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020)
- Kamala Harris, 49th vice president of the United States (2021–2025), U.S. senator from California (2017–2021)
- Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States (2009–2017), U.S. senator from Illinois (2005–2008)
U.S. senators
- Cory Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey (2013–present)
- Gary Peters, U.S. senator from Michigan (2015–present)
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont (2007–present) (Independent)
- Debbie Stabenow, U.S. senator from Michigan (2001–2025)
U.S. representatives
- Joe Schwarz, U.S. representative for Michigan's 7th congressional district (2005–2007) (Independent, former Republican)
State officials
- Richard H. Bernstein, Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (2015–present)
- J. B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois (2019–present)
State senators
- Melvin L. Larsen, former state senator (Republican)
- Tory Rocca, former state senator for Michigan's 10th district (Republican)
State representatives
- Kyra Harris Bolden, state representative from Michigan's 35th district
- Doug Hart, former state representative from Michigan's 73rd district (Republican)
- Mike Pumford, former state representative from Michigan's 100th district (Republican)
Local officials
- Mike Duggan, mayor of Detroit (2014–2026)
Individuals
- Magic Johnson, former professional basketball player
- William U. Parfet, businessman and philanthropist (Republican)
- Kerry Washington, actress
Newspapers
- Detroit Free Press
- The Michigan Daily
Organizations
- AFSCME Council 25
- Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce
- End Citizens United
- Human Rights Campaign
- League of Conservation Voters
- Let America Vote
- Michigan AFL-CIO
- Michigan Association of Police Organizations
- Michigan Education Association
- NARAL Pro-Choice America
- National Wildlife Federation
- Sierra Club of Michigan
Tudor Dixon (R)
U.S. executive branch officials
- Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to the president (2017–2020)
- Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States (2017–2021)
State officials
- Doug Ducey, governor of Arizona (2015–2023)
- Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota (2019–2025)
- Glenn Youngkin, governor of Virginia (2022–2026)
U.S. representatives
- Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. representative for Georgia's 14th congressional district (2021–2026)
Individuals
- Mellissa Carone, nominee for lieutenant governor of Michigan in 2022; 2020 election hearing witness for Rudy Giuliani (Constitution Party)
- Brian Kilmeade, conservative political commentator
- Kari Lake, former news anchor and nominee for governor of Arizona in 2022
- Donald Trump Jr., businessman and former television personality
Newspapers
Organizations
- Michigan Farm Bureau
- National Federation of Independent Business – Michigan
- Right to Life of Michigan