Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette and former state Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer will compete to be Michigan’s next governor after winning party primary fights Tuesday night. Michigan voters chose experience in the gubernatorial race, an about face two years after helping elect GOP President Donald Trump and eight years after picking term-limited Gov. Rick Snyder, neither of whom had held political office. Latest election results from Metro Detroit and Michigan Whitmer, who spent 14 years in the state Legislature, held off a late push by former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed, a favorite of the progressive left, and Ann Arbor Entrepreneur Shri Thanedar. Schuette, who launched his political career 34 years ago with election to the U.S. House, is looking to make the governor’s office his next stop after topping Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Pat Colbeck and obstetrician Jim Hines. The primaries generated high interest, so much so that some precincts in Oakland County ran out of ballots just before the polls closed in most of the state at 8 p.m. There were several contested congressional primaries, while Farmington Hills businessman and military veteran John James won the Republican nomination to take on U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, in the fall. “Well, we did it,” Schuette said to supporters during an election night party at the Dow Diamond minor league baseball stadium in Midland. After a bruising primary, he quickly turned his attention to the general election by urging GOP unity. “Whatever differences we may have, it is my hope that starting tonight we can unite in our common goals: more jobs, greater growth and bigger paychecks for Michigan families.” The Associated Press called the race for Schuette around 9:30 p.m. With 96 percent of all precincts reporting by Wednesday morning, he had pulled in nearly 51 percent of the vote, compared with 25 percent for Calley, 13 percent for Colbeck and 11 percent for Hines. Endorsed by Trump, Schuette said later Tuesday that both the president and Vice President Mike Pence had called to congratulate him on the primary win. Before midnight Tuesday, the president tweeted: "Congratulations to Bill Schuette. You will have a Big win in November and be a tremendous Governor for the Great State of Michigan. Lots of car and other companies moving back!" Whitmer was named the projected winner around 10 p.m. Tuesday. With most precincts reporting by Wednesday morning, she was leading with nearly 52 percent of the vote, followed by El-Sayed at 30 percent and Thanedar at 18 percent. A large crowd gathered for the Democratic nominee at the Sound Board theater at MotorCity Casino in Detroit and chanted “Go Gretchen, Go!” as they waited for Whitmer's victory speech. “We are standing here primed to win in November,” Whitmer said. “It is because of all of you that we have the opportunity to reject the politics of division and exclusion, the politics of taking care of just a few instead of us all.” Surviving attack ad barrage Schuette survived a barrage of attacks from rivals en route to the GOP nomination. The 64-year-old downplayed revelations he used government staff to sign personal real estate documents and used his state office to plan for a political convention. Calley, 41, had a reputation for soft-spoken and thoughtful work as lieutenant governor. But he took the gloves off in the primary, accusing Schuette of breaking the law and politicizing investigations like the attorney general’s Flint water crisis probe. “We can be proud of the work we’ve done,” Calley said in a concession video that included congratulations for Schuette. “The reality is this is President Trump’s Republican Party. His chosen candidates win Republican primaries. We see it all across the country.” Whitmer, 46, consolidated establishment support in the Democratic primary, including endorsements from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, members of congress and most of the state's labor unions, including the United Auto Workers and the Michigan Education Association. The East Lansing Democrat was a perpetual member of the minority party, but Whitmer has touted her work to cross the aisle and secure votes for a minimum wage increase and expanded Medicaid eligibility. She campaigned promising to “fix the damn roads,” a blunt rallying cry for her plan to pump $3 billion a year into a new infrastructure bank, possibly by asking voters to approve long-term bonding. 'Pragmatism rules' Sara Stech, a 67-year-old social worker who lives in Whitmer’s home town of East Lansing, said she voted for the former Senate minority leader because she feels Whitmer is the best chance for Democrats to take on Republicans in the fall. “Pragmatism rules,” Stech said. “We know her really well. We know her positions. She’s a good progressive, and we’re pragmatists. I spent my whole life being an idealist, but where did that get me? Mr. Donald J. Moron.” Jason Huizing, 46, wore his feelings about Tuesday’s primary on his t-shirt. It said “F--- Trump” with an American flag. Huizing, who sells handicap-accessible vans and buses, voted for Whitmer. He considered casting his ballot for El-Sayed but it came down to elect ability. “I think she has the best chance of beating a Republican,” he said. “And that’s the goal – to get Trump and the Republicans out of office.” El-Sayed had polled third in most polls of the race, but the 33-year-old former Detroit health director appeared to be building momentum in recent weeks as he rallied the progressive left with the help of Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist. El-Sayed's movement Sanders, who scored a surprise win in Michigan’s 2016 presidential primary, endorsed El-Sayed on July 26 and rallied with him Sunday in Detroit and Ypsilanti. New York congressional phenom Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for him one week earlier. “We punched well above our weight," El-Sayed said in a concession speech at Cobo Center in Detroit. "So many communities got behind this movement — a movement that was so diverse. That’s what America is supposed to be. We changed the conversation." El-Sayed supporters were philosophical after his loss. “It’s sad for me because I voted for him, but the people of Michigan have spoken,“ said Avery Bono, 19 of Taylor. “ But this is just the first part of the progressive (movement) that will happen in Michigan. The fact that Gretchen Whitmer had to fight him so hard shows we are gaining ground.” Shahzad Mian, 46 of Ann Arbor said he was “very proud” of the candidate, despite the result. “He ran a good campaign,“Mian said. “He will continue to be a leader for our community. But this is a democracy. We live in a wonderful country where people get to have their voices heard at the ballot box, and that’s what happened. But we will still keep going.“ Thanedar's spending spree Thanedar, a wealthy Ann Arbor businessman, flooded the state with a series of television ads, glossy mailers and billboards in the run-up to the primary election. The 63-year-old immigrant also campaigned on a hard-left platform while touting his rags-to-riches story that began with childhood poverty in his native India. He built and then lost a small business empire in Missouri before building and selling a successful chemical testing company in Ann Arbor. Aaron Wright of Detroit, 40, said he voted for Thanedar because of his business experience, noting the Ann Arbor entrepreneur has “made millions” in private industry. Television ads are “mostly propaganda,” Wright said, “but I actually seen a special about his life, a TV show talking about his life and where he went, that kind of made me like him as a person.” Calley's stalled campaign Endorsed by Snyder as his chosen successor, Calley ran on a promise to “continue the comeback” and build on recent economic gains. While Schuette won backing of the powerful Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Grand Rapids Chamber both endorsed Calley. Schuette, endorsed by Trump, bashed Calley for renouncing his presidential endorsement in 2016 after audio tapes surfaced of the New York businessman bragging about using his celebrity to grope women.<doc-sep>In the 2018 midterm elections in Michigan, Democrats are in good shape to keep a Senate seat and retake the governor’s mansion — and the Wolverine State also gives them a couple of chances to pick up House wins. Two Michigan House elections are outright toss-ups, and a couple of others could be in play if Democrats build a big enough blue wave. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow looks to be in good shape to hold the Senate seat on the ballot in 2018. Democrats could also retake the governor’s mansion, and the political environment is favorable enough here for them that election forecasters think they could take the state House, despite a sizable deficit in seats. The gubernatorial fight has shaped up to feature an interesting tussle among progressive and establishment Democrats. Polls close at 8 pm ET in Michigan. Live results, powered by Decision Desk, are below. Michigan governor’s primary elections: a tight race on both sides for an open governor’s seat Republican Gov. Rick Snyder is retiring with dismal approval ratings during the Flint water crisis. In a recent NBC/Marist survey of the GOP primary, Attorney General Bill Schuette (36 percent) had built a decent lead over Lt. Gov. Calley (26 percent) with lots of voters undecided. On the Democratic side, former State Senate Democratic leader Gretchen Whitmer has narrowly led in the polling. She looks like the slight favorite, while prominent progressives like Alexandria Oscaio-Cortez are trying push Abdul El-Sayed to an upset victory. Both parties still need to get through their August primaries, but NBC/Marist polled a hypothetical general election matchup with the leading candidates. They found Whitmer leading Schuette 47 percent to 38 percent. Cook Political Report thinks the governor’s race is a toss-up. Michigan Senate primary elections: Stabenow is expected to sail through Business executive and veteran John James and business executive/Yale and Harvard economist Sandy Pensler are considered the Republican frontrunners. Polls have shown James, one of the few black Republicans in big races this year, with a slight but persistent lead. Stabenow should be fine; polls put her up by a lot over her potential challengers. Cook puts this in the Likely Democratic camp. Michigan Sixth Congressional District: a packed field angles to take on Rep. Fred Upton Four Democrats are on the ballot. Matt Longjohn, a former YMCA and public health official, has raised a lot of money and might have the most compelling story, having jumped into the race after Upton’s vote for the repeal legislation. David Benac is a Western Michigan history professor trying to run as a grassroots candidate. Rich Eichholz is a scientist arguing for evidenced-based policy. George Franklin, a former Kellogg lobbyist also raising a lot of money, rounds out the field. The 6th, like the 1st, is more of a long-shot for Democrats. Cook has it as Likely Republican and rates the district as R+4. Upton is an entrenched incumbent. But Trump’s margin of victory was narrower here — 8 points — and the district has elected the more moderate Upton for decades. It seems at least conceivable that an anti-Trump wave could sweep him out of office, if Democrats successfully tie him to the president. But it probably would take a significant wave. Michigan Seventh Congressional District: a seasoned Democrat and a “Berniecrat” seek to topple a Republican incumbent Gretchen Driskell was put on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue list, meaning Washington Democrats like what they’ve seen from her campaign. She comes from a Navy family and has served as a mayor and now in the state legislature. She has run here before, having lost to Rep. Tim Walberg in 2016 by 15 points. Her only competition on the ballot is Steven Friday, running as a self-identified “Berniecrat.” This is another Likely Republican district; according to Cook it’s R+7. Trump won by 17 points, and the district is very white and not particularly well-educated. But the 7th District has swung in prior wave elections (see 2008 and 2010), and Driskell profiles as the kind of candidate Democrats think can compete in areas like the 7th. Her 2016 loss to Walberg was actually a little narrower than Clinton’s, too, if you’re looking for a reason to be optimistic. Michigan Eighth Congressional District: a former CIA officer strives to flip this toss-up district to blue Elissa Slotkin is another name on the DCCC’s Red to Blue list. She is a former CIA officer who worked on the White House National Security Council under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. She definitely has the look that Democrats like for these swing districts: a history of military and public service. Women are also cleaning up in Democratic primaries, as Vox has documented. Her only competition is Chris Smith, a Michigan State University public policy professor, running on good government and Medicare-for-all. The 8th is a toss-up, according to Cook, and the district is just R+4. Clinton lost to Trump by less than 7 points here in 2016. It covers an area near Lansing, the state capital, and its constituents are a little better educated — all ingredients that could give Democrats an edge. Michigan 11th Congressional District: a competitive primary for both sides of the aisle Rep. David Trott is retiring, so it’s an open seat. The GOP primary is very competitive, with a lot of credible candidates. Among them are former US Rep. Kerry Bentivolio and several state lawmakers: Sen. Mike Kowall, Rep. Klint Kesto and former Rep. Rocky Raczkowski. Self-funding business executive Lena Epstein rounds out the field for Republicans. It’s also a wide open field for the Democrats. Suneel Gupta, brother of doctor and CNN personality Sanjay Gupta, has the most money. Former Obama auto rescue official Haley Stevens has some union support and Hillary Clinton’s endorsement. Fayrouz Saad is angling to be the first Muslim woman elected to Congress and she got the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsement. Current Michigan Rep. Tim Greimel is also on the ballot. The 11th looks like a toss-up. Trump beat Clinton by just four points here, and the district profiles as R+4. It’s pretty diverse and very well-educated. Having no incumbent could be an advantage for Democrats, but it’s hard to know exactly how the race will look until we see who wins the primaries on Tuesday. But the 11th should be a focus for both parties in the battle for the House. Michigan 13th Congressional District, special election: Conyers’s great-nephew is among those vying for his old seat Rep. John Conyers had to retire after sexual harassment allegations. His successor will be picked in this Democratic primary, barring something unforeseen. HIs great-nephew, State Sen. Ian Conyers, is running. So is Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones. She is the subject of a strong campaign to elect an African-American woman for this city district. Westland Mayor Bill Wild and lefty former state Rep. Rashida Tlaib are the rest of the field, with Talib raising a lot of money and both running progressive platforms. Because of a Michigan election law quirk, there will be in November both a special election to fill the last few months of Conyers’s term and then a regular election for the term starting in 2019. Whoever wins the primary will be the next representative for this 57 percent black district.<doc-sep>Michigan Democrats Abdul El-Sayed, Shri Thanedar and Gretchen Whitmer are set to square off in Tuesday's gubernatorial primary. The winner will head to the general election and compete for the chance to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Check out The Detroit News' in-depth candidate profiles of each Democratic candidate by following the links below. Gretchen Whitmer was a freshman in the Michigan House of Representatives when she had her first daughter. Less than three months after becoming a mother, her own mom died of brain cancer. That pivotal first term, full of joy and heartbreak, shaped a legislative tenure marked by resistance and compromise as a perpetual member of the minority party. Read more about Gretchen Whitmer >> Abdul El-Sayed has heard the doubters, some within his own party: He is too young, too brown or too Muslim to win election as governor in a state that backed Republican President Donald Trump in 2016. But the 33-year-old former Detroit health director is working to prove them wrong and become the next far-left Democrat to upset the party establishment. Read more about Abdul El-Sayed>> The bank was selling the business Shri Thanedar had built from the ground up, forcing him to give up his leased cars and preparing to foreclose on the Missouri mansion he’d helped design when he and his wife packed a rental truck in late 2010 and started out for a new life in Michigan. Eight years later, after successfully growing and selling another chemical testing analytics company in Ann Arbor, the entrepreneur scientist is spending millions of his own dollars in a quest to become Michigan’s next governor. Read more >> Get to know the Republicans: Schuette, Calley, Colbeck, Hines run for Michigan governor<doc-sep>
LANSING — The Nov. 6 election for Michigan's next governor will be a showdown between Republican Bill Schuette and Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, who were both declared winners by 10 p.m. in Tuesday's primary. After hard-fought races in both parties, candidates from both primaries were extending olive branches to their former opponents and calling for unity. That included second-place finishers Brian Calley, the Republican lieutenant governor, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the former head of the Detroit health department. Turnout appeared heavier than expected, at least in pockets of Oakland County and elsewhere. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Whitmer had 52 percent of the vote, compared with 30 percent for El-Sayed and 18 percent for Shri Thanedar. In the Republican race, Schuette had 51 percent of the vote while Calley trailed with 25 percent. "We did it," Schuette, the state attorney general since 2011, told supporters in his home town of Midland. "I am proud to be your Republican nominee for governor." He added: "Michigan, it's time to win again." He then launched into an immediate attack on Whitmer as a tax-and-spend liberal. Whitmer, the former Senate minority leader, speaking to supporters in Detroit, said that thanks to their hard work, "we have the opportunity to reject the policies of division" and return a Democrat to the governor's office. “As a child, I never once worried about literacy or drinking water and infrastructure, but our leaders have failed us," she said, referencing problems with public schools, the Flint water crisis, and Michigan's crumbling roads. Ed Sarpolus, founder and executive director of the Lansing-based polling and political consulting firm Target-Insyght, said both Whitmer and Schuette have work to do to separate themselves from other recent candidates. Whitmer has to "run as herself" and show she is not the same as former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm or former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, as her opponents will try to portray her, Sarpolus said. Schuette "has to show he's not Donald Trump and also show he's not (Republican Gov.) Rick Snyder," who can't run again because of term limits. Schuette and Whitmer previewed their pending general election battle during their primary campaigns. Schuette depicted Whitmer as a Granholm clone who would return Michigan to the "lost decade" of the 2000s. Whitmer portrayed Schuette as a politician beholden to special interests who wouldn't fight for the interests of middle-class voters. More:See all the election results for metro Detroit and statewide races More:Ballot shortages reported in Oakland County; voters told to wait Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ronald Weiser said Schuette "will lead our state into another decade of prosperity." Democratic Governors Association Chairman Gov. Jay Inslee congratulated Whitmer, saying: “Michigan is one of the DGA’s top targets for pickup this cycle, and Gretchen is a terrific candidate." The Republican race turned nasty early and often. Calley, running a distant second in the polls, repeatedly attacked Schuette over hiring Republican activists to fill civil service positions, using state workers to sign and notarize private real estate deals, and for allegedly holding political meetings and conducting other political activity in state office buildings and on state time. Otherwise, Calley, a Portland banker and state House representative before he was chosen as lieutenant governor, ran largely on the record of Snyder. He said they worked as a team to slash business taxes and regulations and transform Michigan's economy after a lengthy recession. In a video released shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Calley thanked his supporters and his family and said "we took our shot" and "we left everything out there on the field." He congratulated Schuette and called for unity, saying Schuette's victory showed the Republican Party belonged to President Donald Trump, who endorsed his opponent over him. Schuette, and especially his backers such as political consultant Stu Sandler, didn't pull punches with Calley, either. They ridiculed him over a problem-plagued and ultimately failed ballot drive to create a part-time Legislature, blasted him for working with Granholm to create the much-hated Michigan Business Tax, and never missed an opportunity to remind GOP primary voters that Calley renounced his endorsement of Trump. Schuette, a former congressman, state department director, state senator and appellate court judge, said Michigan still needs more growth and a personal income tax cut, and he has the experience to make that happen. Two other GOP candidates, right-wing favorite Sen. Patrick Colbeck of Canton and Saginaw-area physician Dr. Jim Hines, were largely reduced to onlookers as the Schuette-Calley battle raged.