Governor of Michigan

Michigan Governor
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$159,300
2025 FY Budget:	$9,337,100
Term limits:	2 terms
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Michigan Constitution, Article V, Section I
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer Democratic Party Assumed office: January 1, 2019
Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Other Michigan Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Director of Agriculture and Rural Development • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission

The Governor of the State of Michigan is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Michigan. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms.^[1]

From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. Elections are held in November and the governor assumes office the following January, except in the case of death or resignation. From statehood until 1851, elections were held in odd-numbered years. A new state constitution was drafted in 1850 and took effect in 1851. As part of the process bringing the constitution into effect, there was a single one-year term of governor in 1851. Thereafter elections were held on even years.

The constitution adopted in 1963 changed the governor's term to four years, starting in 1967. Since then, gubernatorial elections have been offset by two years from U.S. presidential elections (e.g., presidential elections were in 2000 and 2004, gubernatorial elections were in 1998 and 2002). The winner of the gubernatorial election takes office at noon on January 1 of the year following the election.

In 1992, an amendment to the Michigan constitution imposed a lifetime term limit of two four-year terms for the office of governor. Prior to this, they were not limited as to how many terms they could serve; John Engler, the governor at the time, was exempt from the rule and served three terms, re-elected in 1994 and 1998 before retiring in 2003.

Michigan has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and the upper chamber of the state legislature, while the Republican Party controls the lower chamber of the state legislature.

Michigan has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also: Michigan State Legislature, Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan State Senate

Current officeholder

The 49th and current governor is Gretchen Whitmer (D). She was first elected in 2018.^[1]

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article V, the Executive Department.^[2]

Under Article V, Section I:

The executive power is vested in the governor.[2]

Qualifications

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

A candidate for governor is required, under Section 22, to be:^[2]

• at least 30 years old
• a registered voter in the state of Michigan for at least four years preceding the election

Elections

Michigan elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Michigan, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first day of the year following an election.

2022

See also: Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

Democratic primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Articia Bomer (D)

Republican primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Perry Johnson (R)
• Michael Markey Jr. (R)
• Bob Scott (R)
• Austin Chenge (R)
• Michael Brown (R)
• Donna Brandenburg (R)

Green convention

Libertarian convention

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention

2018

See also: Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Richard Sills (Independent)
• Ryan Henry Cox (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kentiel White (D)
• Bill Cobbs (D)
• Justin Giroux (D)

Republican primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Evan Space (R)

Green primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Dwain Reynolds (G)

Libertarian primary election

2014

See also: Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 2014
Party	Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rick Snyder/Brian Calley Incumbent	50.9%	1,607,399
	Democratic	Mark Schauer/Lisa Brown	46.9%	1,479,057
	Libertarian	Mary Buzuma/Scott Boman	1.1%	35,723
	U.S. Taxpayers	Mark McFarlin/Richard Mendoza	0.6%	19,368
	Green	Paul Homeniuk/Candace R. Caveny	0.5%	14,934
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0%	50
Total Votes	3,156,531
Election results via Michigan Department of State

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

Michigan governors are restricted to two terms in office during their lifetime.^[2]

Michigan Constitution, Article V, Section 30

No person shall be elected more than two times to each office of the executive branch of government: governor ... Any person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in the office of governor ... for a period greater than one half of a term of such office, shall be considered to have been elected to serve one time in that office for purposes of this section. This limitation on the number of times a person shall be elected to office shall apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 1993.[2]

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Governors of Michigan from 1992 to 2013.

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article V, Section 26.

In the event of the governor's death, resignation, impeachment and conviction, or removal from office, the line of succession begins with the lieutenant governor, the elected secretary of state, and then the elected attorney general.

The same line of succession applies if a governor-elect dies, which the caveat that it is the elected, or re-elected, individuals who would have taken office in the New Year.

For the temporary absence or inability of the governor, the same individuals will take over the office, but only until the governor returns or recovers. Determining a permanent inability of the governor is at the discretion of the Supreme Court of Michigan, which shall take up the matter only after receiving a joint petition from the President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. If a majority of the court rules that the governor is indeed unfit for office, that determination shall be final and may only be reversed by the same Court.

Duties

Michigan's governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's militia (§ 12), upholds and executes all laws (§ 8), and is the final supervisor of all principle departments of the government. She or he may initiate court proceedings in the name of the state to enforce all laws, except she or he may not initiate such proceedings against the legislature. (§ 8)

Respecting the Constitutional upper bound of 20 departments, the governor may reorganize offices of the state government and reallocate functions among those offices. (§ 2) The single officers and the boards and commissions that head each department are gubernatorial appointees, unless their election or appointment by another method is explicitly prescribed in law.(§ 3).

Under § 7, all appointments that legally require Senatorial advice and consent shall be put forth by the governor. Any nominee who is rejected by the Senate is ineligible for an interim appointment to the same office.

The governor may request information and reports from any department and any executive officer, and may remove or suspend such officers for corruption, neglect, and incompetence. Such privileges to remove and suspend officers does not extend to the legislature or the judiciary. (§ 10). In such cases, the governor may make an interim appointment until the suspension is removed or until a vacancy election is held. (§ 11) Concerning legislative vacancies, the governor issues a writ calling a special election to replace both Representatives and Senators who vacate their office. (§ 13).^[2]

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

• Granting reprieves, pardons, and commutations except in cases of impeachment. Once a year, the governor must address the legislature stating his or her reasons for each pardon (§ 14)

• Convening extraordinary sessions of the legislature (§ 15) and moving the meeting place of the legislature when the seat of government is in danger (§ 16)

• Addressing the legislature at the start of each regular session and at other times she deems prudent on the condition of the state and delivering her recommendations (§ 17)

• Submitting a budget once a year that covers the next fiscal period, in which proposed expenditures may not exceed proposed revenues. The governor may also propose amendments to any appropriation bill under consideration in either chamber (§ 18) If expenditures are later predicted to exceed revenue, the governor shall work with the appropriations committees of both houses to bring spending back into balance (§ 20)

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Michigan has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

Role in state budget

See also: Michigan state budget and finances

The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[3]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in August of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
2. State agencies submit their requests to the governor in October.
3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in February. Newly elected governors are allowed an additional 30 to 60 days after the legislature convenes.
4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in June. The fiscal year begins October 1.

Michigan is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.^[3][4]

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the state legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.^[3]

Governor's office budget

The Executive Office's budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which includes the offices of the governor and lieutenant governor, was $9,337,100.^[5]

Summer home

Michigan is the only state that owns and maintains a summer home strictly for the governor. The home, known as the Lawrence Young cottage, sits on a bluff on Mackinac Island. Purchased by the state in 1944, it is 7,100 square feet, with 11 bedrooms and 9 1/2 baths.^[6]

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

The Michigan Constitution allows that the compensation for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general shall be provided by law, and is not to be altered during the term of office. Established under Article IV, Section 12 of the Michigan Constitution, the State Officers Compensation Commission was created to determine the salaries of select public officials. The seven-member, government appointed commission meets every two years. The commission may propose compensation increases, but may only propose a reduction in salary if the proposed amount is equal to or higher than the salary in place when the official took office. Once approved by the legislature, compensation is effective during the legislative session following the subsequent general election.^[7]

Article V, Section 23 of the Michigan Constitution:

The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general shall each receive the compensation provided by law in full payment for all services performed and expenses incurred during his term of office. Such compensation shall not be changed during the term of office except as otherwise provided in this constitution.[2]

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $159,300, according to the Council of State Governments.^[8]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $159,300, according to the Council of State Governments.^[9]

2021

In 2021, the governor received a salary of $159,300, according to the Council of State Governments.^[10]

2020

In 2020, the governor received a salary of $159,300, according to the Council of State Governments.^[11]

2019

In 2019, the governor received a salary of $159,300, according to the Council of State Governments.^[12]

2018

In 2018, the governor received a salary of $159,300, according to the Council of State Governments.^[13]

2017

In 2017, the governor was scheduled to receive a salary of $159,300. However, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) returned all but $1 of his salary.^[14]

2016

In 2016, the governor was scheduled to receive a salary of $159,300. However, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) returned all but $1 of his salary.^[15]

2015

In 2015, the governor was scheduled to receive a salary of $159,300. However, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) returned all but $1 of his salary.^[16]

2014

In 2014, the governor received a salary of $159,300, according to the Council of State Governments.^[17]

2013

In 2013, the governor was scheduled to receive a salary of $159,300. However, Gov. Rick Snyder (R) returned all but $1 of his salary.^[18]

2012

In 2012, the governor was paid an estimated $177,000 according to the Council of State Governments.^[19]

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Michigan

From 1992-2013 in Michigan, there were Democratic governors in office for eight years while there were Republican governors in office for 14 years, including the last three. Michigan was under Republican trifectas for the last three years of the study period.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Michigan, the Michigan State Senate and the Michigan House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Massachusetts state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Michigan has had spurts of divided government and a Republican trifecta. The state had a Republican trifecta during three separate periods (1995-1996, 1999-2002, and 2011-2013) and divided government during three separate periods (1992-1994, 1997-1998, and 2003-2010). The state’s highest SQLI ranking came in 1999 under a Republican trifecta (19th). Beginning in 2007, Michigan has slipped into the bottom-10 of the SQLI ranking and has remained there since. Michigan saw its most precipitous drop in the SQLI ranking between 2001 and 2002 and again between 2003 and 2004, under both a Republican trifecta and divided government, respectively. The state had not had a Democratic trifecta.

• SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: N/A
• SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 26.88
• SQLI average with divided government: 33.31

Historical officeholders (1835-Present)

There have been 49 Governors of Michigan since 1835. Of the 49 governors, 18 were Democratic, 28 were Republican, two were Whigs, and one was Democratic (Fusionist).^[20]

#	Name	Term	Party
1	Stevens T. Mason	1835-1840	Democratic
2	William Woodbridge	1840-1841	Whig
3	James Wright Gordon	1841-1842	Whig
4	John S. Barry	1842-1846	Democratic
5	Alpheus Felch	1846-1847	Democratic
6	William L. Greenly	1847-1848	Democratic
7	Epaphroditus Ranson	1848-1850	Democratic
8	John S. Barry	1850-1852	Democratic
9	Robert McClelland	1852-1853	Democratic
10	Andrew Parsons	1853-1855	Democratic
11	Kinsley S. Bingham	1855-1859	Republican
12	Moses Wisner	1859-1861	Republican
13	Austin Blair	1861-1865	Republican
14	Henry H. Crapo	1865-1869	Republican
15	Henry P. Baldwin	1869-1873	Republican
16	John J. Bagley	1873-1877	Republican
17	Charles M. Croswell	1877-1881	Republican
18	David H. Jerome	1881-1883	Republican
19	Josiah W. Begole	1883-1885	Democratic (Fusionist)
20	Russell A. Alger	1885-1887	Republican
21	Cyrus G. Luce	1887-1891	Republican
22	Edwin B. Winans	1891-1893	Democratic
23	John T. Rich	1893-1897	Republican
24	Hazen S. Pingree	1897-1901	Republican
25	Aaron T. Bliss	1901-1905	Republican
26	Fred M. Warner	1905-1911	Republican
27	Chase S. Osborn	1911-1913	Republican
28	Woodbridge N. Ferris	1913-1917	Democratic
29	Albert E. Sleeper		Republican
30	Alexander J. Groesbeck	1921-1927	Republican
31	Fred M. Green	1927-1931	Republican
32	Wilber M. Brucker	1931-1933	Republican
33	William A. Comstock	1933-1935	Democratic
34	Frank D. Fitzgerald	1935-1937	Republican
35	Frank Murphy	1937-1939	Democratic
36	Frank D. Fitzgerald	1939	Republican
37	Luren D. Dickinson	1939-1941	Republican
38	Murray D. Van Wagoner	1941-1943	Democratic
39	Harry F. Kelly	1943-1947	Republican
40	Kim Sigler	1947-1949	Republican
41	G. Mennen Williams	1949-1961	Democratic
42	John B. Swainson	1961-1963	Democratic
43	George Romney	1963-1969	Republican
44	William G. Milliken	1969-1983	Republican
45	James J. Blanchard	1983-1991	Democratic
46	John M. Engler	1991-2003	Republican
47	Jennifer M. Granholm	2003-2011	Democratic
48	Rick Snyder	2011-2019	Republican
49	Gretchen Whitmer	2019-present	Democratic

State profile

Demographic data for Michigan
	Michigan	U.S.
Total population:	9,917,715	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	56,539	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	79%	73.6%
Black/African American:	14%	12.6%
Asian:	2.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.5%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.6%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	4.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	89.6%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	26.9%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$49,576	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	20%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Michigan. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Michigan

Michigan voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 12 are located in Michigan, accounting for 5.83 percent of the total pivot counties.^[21]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Michigan had 11 Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 6.08 and 4.00 of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Michigan coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Michigan
• United States congressional delegations from Michigan
• Public policy in Michigan
• Endorsers in Michigan
• Michigan fact checks
• More...

Contact information

Governor Gretchen Whitmer
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Phone: (517) 373-3400
Phone (constituent services): (517) 335-7858

See also

Michigan	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis
Michigan State Executive Offices Michigan State Legislature Michigan Courts	2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Michigan elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016	Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Office of the Michigan Governor

Footnotes

	v • e State of Michigan Lansing (capital)
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