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Primary Election Winners and Where the Gubernatorial Candidates Stand on Key Issues

Voter turnout in Tuesday's primary election broke state records, with an estimated 29 percent of registered voters casting ballots.

Voter turnout in Tuesday's primary election broke state records, with an estimated 29 percent of registered voters casting ballots.

Approximately 2.1 million votes were cast in the August 2018 election, beating out the previous record of roughly 1.7 million votes cast in the 2002 gubernatorial primary.

Gretchen Whitmer was Tuesday's Democratic winner in a three-person race for Governor; Bill Schuette was the Republican winner in a four-person contest.

On Whitmer’s official website, she shares her position on 12 issue areas, ranging from road repairs and healthcare to Michigan's water and urban poverty. Schuette’s official website includes highlights of his position on eight issue areas, including defending second amendment rights and “the rights of the unborn,” education, auto insurance rates and protecting women and children.

Issue Area Focus: Education

Whitmer’s plan for improving education focuses on quality education from “cradle to career” (i.e. phasing in quality, full-day universal preschool), paths to prosperity with a highly educated workforce (i.e. growing support for project-based learning), respect for educators (i.e. more opportunities for teacher collaboration), and stabilizing school funding and improving accountability (i.e. converting to a weighted foundation allowance).

Schuette’s plan for improving education highlights giving parents and students more choices, ensuring all kids can read by the third grade and transportation scholarships for families that can’t afford transportation costs for their children “to escape failing schools” and gain access to special programs. Schuette also shares on his website information about his ten-point Great Readers On the Way (GROW) Reading Plan.

Issue Area Focus: Economy and Workforce Development

Whitmer says her plan focuses on high-wage skills, closing the economic inequity gap, unleashing Michigan’s economic development potential and helping small businesses compete. She also suggests ensuring every student creates a post-graduation career plan and repealing the Snyder Retirement Tax.

Schuette says he will champion vocational education and will cut taxes, regulations and wasteful spending. He highlights his ten-point “Paycheck Training Plan” for vocational education and job training. His “Paycheck Agenda” includes elimination of the Granholm Income Tax increase as well as ethics and transparency reform.

Issue Area Focus: Opioid Crisis

Whitmer suggests immediate action to expand treatment and recovery services, build on and expand permanent drug take-back programs, invest in treatment courts and hold physicians and drug companies accountable.

Schuette supports legislation to limit prescriptions and supports recent increased federal funding to create education and treatment programs at the state level while slowing the availability of opioids and heroin.

Other Election Highlights: Candidate Diversity

Michigan’s primary election included two potential firsts in regard to candidate diversity:

  • Rashida Tlaib, the endorsed candidate of the Progressive Caucus in the 13th Congressional District, won a six-way race for the Democratic nomination. If elected, Tlaib would be the first Muslim woman in Congress.

  • Michigan Democrats appear to have an all-female slate at the top of their ticket: Whitmer for governor, Debbie Stabenow, who is seeking re-election for her U.S. Senate seat, Dana Nessel for attorney general and Jocelyn Benson for secretary of state.

Want more?

See the complete August 2018 results.

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