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Democratic Party primaries in Michigan, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID requested
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[1][2]
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[3] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[4][5][6]
Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[7]
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Michigan on August 7, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
In Michigan, political parties nominate candidates for some offices at their conventions instead of holding a primary. Candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Supreme Court, and the boards of Michigan State University, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and the state Board of Education are nominated by political parties. The Democratic Party state convention and the Republican Party state convention were both held from August 25 to August 26.[8][9][10]
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- Michigan's 11th Congressional District election (August 7, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Michigan's 13th Congressional District election (August 7, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Michigan's 13th Congressional District special election (August 7, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 7 Democratic primary)
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
Democratic primary candidates- Debbie Stabenow (Incumbent) ✔
U.S. House
District 1
Democratic primary candidates- Matthew Morgan (Write-in) ✔
- Matthew Morgan was disqualified from the primary ballot in May 2018, but successfully ran as a write-in candidate. He appeared on the general election ballot.[12]
District 2
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 3
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 4
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 5
Democratic primary candidates- Dan Kildee (Incumbent) ✔
District 6
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 7
Democratic primary candidates
District 8
Democratic primary candidates
District 9
Democratic primary candidates = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 10
Democratic primary candidates
District 11
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 12
Democratic primary candidates- Debbie Dingell (Incumbent) ✔
District 13
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 14
Democratic primary candidates- Brenda Lawrence (Incumbent) ✔
State elections
Michigan Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas • Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D |
| House | D | S | S | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | R |
Gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial elections
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Attorney general election
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Secretary of state election
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Michigan
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Michigan's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Michigan revenue, 2011 to 2016[13][14] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $4,247,277.94 | $795,030.95 | $5,042,308.89 |
| 2012 | $8,233,561.08 | $3,555,008.31 | $11,788,569.39 |
| 2013 | $4,062,514.95 | $972,969.63 | $5,035,484.58 |
| 2014 | $6,665,915.83 | $5,073,738.83 | $11,739,654.66 |
| 2015 | $1,102,185.46 | $510,742.06 | $1,612,927.52 |
| 2016 | $11,569,329.84 | $3,172,438.05 | $14,741,767.89 |
Michigan compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Michigan was one of four states to hold a primary election on August 7, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Michigan utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[15][16]
Poll times
In Michigan, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Most of the state is observes Eastern Time, while several counties observe Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[17]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Michigan, a voter must be a United States citizen and a resident of their city or township for at least 30 days. Voters must be at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not be currently serving a sentence in jail or prison.[18]
Voters may register to vote online, by mail, or in person at clerk's offices in their county, city, or township, or at a state department branch office 15 days or earlier before an election .[18]
Within 14 days of an election and on Election Day, voters can register in person at their local clerk's office by presenting proof of residency documentation.[18] According to the Michigan Secretary of State's website:[18]
| “ | Proof of residency is official documentation (paper or digital) that lists a voter’s current name and address. When registering to vote within 14 days of an election, voters must present one form of proof of residency in person at a local clerk’s office. Proof of residency examples include:
|
” |
Automatic registration
Michigan automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they apply for or update a driver’s license or personal identification card.[15]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Michigan has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[15]
Same-day registration
Michigan allows same-day voter registration.[15]
Residency requirements
Michigan law requires 30 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.[18]
Verification of citizenship
Michigan does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[20] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
This page, administered by the Michigan Department of State, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Michigan requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[21]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Michigan Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Michigan driver’s license (may be expired)
- Michigan personal identification card
- Driver’s license or personal ID card issued by another state
- Federal, state, or local government-issued photo ID
- U.S. passport
- Military photo ID
- Photo ID from an educational institution
- Tribal identification card with photo.
Voters can obtain a state identification card at a secretary of state branch office for $10. Voters over the age of 65, voters who are blind, and voters whose driving privileges have been terminated due to a physical or mental disability can obtain an identification card for free. Additionally, voters who can present a reason for having the fee waived may also obtain an ID for free. Visit the Michigan secretary of state’s page or call (888) SOS-MICH (767-6424) for more information.[22]
Early voting
Michigan permits early voting. Michigan refers to early voting as early in-person voting. Early voting dates vary across the state, but must include a minimum of nine consecutive days, ending on the Sunday before an election. For more information, click here.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Any Michigan voter can cast an absentee ballot. To vote absentee, a request must be received online or by mail no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election. In person requests can be made until 4 p.m. on the day before Election Day. Completed absentee ballots must then be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day.[23]
See also
| Federal primaries in Michigan | State primaries in Michigan | Michigan state party apparatus | Michigan voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
 |
Footnotes
- ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
- ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
- ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Democratic endorsement convention reveals divide between progressives, African Americans," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "Michigan Election dates," accessed April 30, 2018
- ↑ Michigan GOP, "2018 Michigan Republican Party State Convention," accessed April 30, 2018
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Stabenow hauls in $2.1M in second quarter," July 13, 2017
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Michigan write-in candidate for Congress gets 29,293 votes," August 24, 2018
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Disclosure—Searchable Database Downloads & Statistics," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Michigan Republican Party and Democratic State Central Committee)
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Michigan Republican Party and Michigan Democratic State Central Committee)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Michigan.gov, "Questions and Answers: Michigan’s Presidential Primary," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions: Elections and Voting," accessed April 16, 2023
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Michigan Secretary of State, "Registering to Vote," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "Notice to Voters: Voter Identification Requirement in Effect," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ Kingsford Michigan, "A Guide to Voter ID/Affidavit at the Polls," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Vote at home (Absentee)," April 17, 2023
