1998 Michigan Senate election

1998 Michigan Senate elections
November 3, 1998
All 38 seats in the Michigan Senate
20 seats needed for a majority
Turnout2,974,633 (41.45%)
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Dick Posthumus
(retired) 		Joe Conroy
(retired)
Party Republican Democratic
Leader since January 1, 1991
Leader's seat 31st - Alto 29th - Flint
Last election 22 16
Seats after 23 15
Seat change 1 1
Popular vote 1,556,712 1,388,711
Percentage 52.33% 46.69%
Majority Leader before election

Dick Posthumus
Republican

Majority Leader

Dan DeGrow
Republican

The 1998 Michigan Senate election was held on November 3, 1998, to determine which party would control the Michigan Senate for the following two years in the 90th Michigan General Assembly. All 38 senate seats were up for election. Prior to the election 22 seats were held by Republicans and 16 were held by Democrats. The general election saw the Republicans expand their majority by a single seat, thereby retaining control of the Michigan Senate. Primary elections were held on August 4, 1998.[1][2]

Retirements

  1. District 9: R. Robert Geake (R) retired.
  2. District 17: Jim Berryman (D) retired.
  3. District 29: Joe Conroy (D) retired.
  4. District 31: Dick Posthumus (R) retired to successfully run for lieutenant governor.
  5. District 33: Jon Cisky (R) retired.

Incumbents defeated

In primary

  1. District 5: Michael O'Brien (D) lost renomination to Burton Leland.

Results

District 1

Michigan's 1st Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joseph F. Young Jr. (incumbent) 36,150 61.08%
Republican Frank J. Palazzolo 21,656 36.59%
Libertarian Constance J. Catalfio 1,378 2.33%
Total votes 59,184 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 2

Michigan's 2nd Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Virgil C. Smith (incumbent) 42,832 92.17%
Republican Wanda M. Gray 3,641 7.83%
Total votes 46,473 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 3

Michigan's 3rd Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Raymond M. Murphy (incumbent) 42,976 94.71%
Republican Erik Fiedler 2,402 5.29%
Total votes 45,378 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 4

Michigan's 4th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Vaughn III (incumbent) 57,458 96.50%
Republican William Johnson 2,085 3.50%
Total votes 59,543 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 5

Michigan's 5th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Burton Leland 47,093 90.00%
Republican Beverly Ann Beal 4,087 7.81%
Libertarian Michael L. Donahue 1,143 2.18%
Total votes 52,323 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 6

Michigan's 6th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George Z. Hart (incumbent) 40,801 53.41%
Republican Rhonda L. Runco 33,461 43.80%
Libertarian Erich Trager 2,137 2.80%
Total votes 76,399 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 7

Michigan's 7th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Christopher D. Dingell (incumbent) 43,886 67.00%
Republican Rick Butkowski 19,516 29.79%
Libertarian Kristin K. Stoner 2,101 3.21%
Total votes 65,503 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 8

Michigan's 8th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Loren N. Bennett (incumbent) 33,501 52.52%
Democratic Kenneth A. Warfield 30,289 47.48%
Total votes 63,790 100.0%
Republican hold

District 9

Michigan's 9th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thaddeus McCotter 53,396 61.85%
Democratic Carol Poenisch 29,548 34.23%
Libertarian David A. Nagy 3,385 3.92%
Total votes 86,329 100.0%
Republican hold

District 10

Michigan's 10th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Art Miller Jr. (incumbent) 44,916 65.35%
Republican Linda R. Goff 21,971 31.97%
Libertarian David A. Nagy 1,841 2.68%
Total votes 68,728 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 11

Michigan's 11th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ken DeBeaussaert (incumbent) 41,890 50.74%
Republican Jack Brandenburg 38,588 46.74%
Libertarian Scott W. Allen 2,086 2.53%
Total votes 82,564 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 12

Michigan's 12th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David Jaye (incumbent) 54,116 61.89%
Democratic Dick Kennedy 31,339 35.84%
Libertarian Paul M. Soyk 1,983 2.27%
Total votes 87,438 100.0%
Republican hold

District 13

Michigan's 13th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Bouchard (incumbent) 57,752 64.37%
Democratic Jeffrey Jenks 29,411 32.78%
Libertarian Gary Atkinson 2,550 2.84%
Total votes 89,713 100.0%
Republican hold

District 14

Michigan's 14th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gary Peters (incumbent) 53,497 65.48%
Republican Mike Christie Jr. 28,201 34.52%
Total votes 81,698 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 15

Michigan's 15th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Bullard Jr. (incumbent) 62,847 61.46%
Democratic S. Ruth Fuller 39,414 38.54%
Total votes 102,261 100.0%
Republican hold

District 16

Michigan's 16th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mat J. Dunaskiss (incumbent) 68,366 69.11%
Democratic Michael L. Odette 30,563 30.89%
Total votes 98,929 100.0%
Republican hold

District 17

Michigan's 17th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Beverly S. Hammerstrom 41,859 54.21%
Democratic Lynn Owen 35,353 45.79%
Total votes 77,212 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic

District 18

Michigan's 18th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alma Wheeler Smith (incumbent) 53,024 62.21%
Republican John C. Hochstetler 32,211 37.79%
Total votes 85,235 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 19

Michigan's 19th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Philip E. Hoffman (incumbent) 47,714 69.77%
Democratic Jennie Crittendon 20,675 30.23%
Total votes 68,389 100.0%
Republican hold

District 20

Michigan's 20th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Harry Gast (incumbent) 44,362 67.20%
Democratic David Allen DeRuiter 20,244 30.66%
Libertarian Tom Baker 1,413 2.14%
Total votes 66,019 100.0%
Republican hold

District 21

Michigan's 21st Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dale L. Shugars (incumbent) 38,349 53.59%
Democratic Kristi Carambula 33,207 46.41%
Total votes 71,556 100.0%
Republican hold

District 22

Michigan's 22nd Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican William Van Regenmorter (incumbent) 69,986 78.57%
Democratic Melvin Jay Lewis 19,092 21.43%
Total votes 89,078 100.0%
Republican hold

District 23

Michigan's 23rd Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joanne G. Emmons (incumbent) 50,995 68.46%
Democratic Louis Gula 21,743 29.19%
Libertarian Richard Whitelock 1,750 2.35%
Total votes 74,488 100.0%
Republican hold

District 24

Michigan's 24th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Schwarz (incumbent) 53,361 65.59%
Democratic Violet Hinton 27,990 34.41%
Total votes 81,351 100.0%
Republican hold

District 25

Michigan's 25th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dianne Byrum (incumbent) 55,200 66.04%
Republican Pat Gallagher 25,816 30.89%
Libertarian Mark Owen 2,568 3.07%
Total votes 83,584 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 26

Michigan's 26th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Rogers (incumbent) 66,144 68.17%
Democratic Sylvia McCollough 28,784 29.67%
Libertarian Richard A. Samul 2,099 2.16%
Total votes 97,027 100.0%
Republican hold

District 27

Michigan's 27th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dan DeGrow (incumbent) 58,413 65.83%
Democratic Dan Bewersdorff 30,315 34.17%
Total votes 88,728 100.0%
Republican hold

District 28

Michigan's 28th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John D. Cherry (incumbent) 48,249 64.08%
Republican Jodi Ann Spalding 25,513 33.89%
Libertarian David C. Jackson 1,530 2.03%
Total votes 75,292 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 29

Michigan's 29th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert L. Emerson 53,673 72.39%
Republican Mercedes Kinnee 20,472 27.61%
Total votes 74,145 100.0%
Democratic hold

District 30

Michigan's 30th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Glenn Steil Sr. (incumbent) 47,499 62.48%
Democratic Carol Hennessy 28,525 37.52%
Total votes 76,024 100.0%
Republican hold

District 31

Michigan's 31st Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Sikkema 77,949 79.93%
Democratic Jason Robert May 19,577 20.07%
Total votes 97,526 100.0%
Republican hold

District 32

Michigan's 32nd Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leon Stille (incumbent) 57,363 67.21%
Democratic Greg Woodbury 27,989 32.79%
Total votes 85,352 100.0%
Republican hold

District 33

Michigan's 33rd Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Goschka 45,764 56.39%
Democratic Barbara J. McDonald 35,390 43.61%
Total votes 81,154 100.0%
Republican hold

District 34

Michigan's 34th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joel Gougeon (incumbent) 47,404 58.18%
Democratic Tom Alley 34,073 41.82%
Total votes 81,477 100.0%
Republican hold

District 35

Michigan's 35th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Schuette (incumbent) 61,510 70.37%
Democratic Brian Baldwin 25,900 29.63%
Total votes 87,410 100.0%
Republican hold

District 36

Michigan's 36th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George A. McManus Jr. (incumbent) 65,415 65.42%
Democratic Joel R. Casler 34,576 34.58%
Total votes 99,991 100.0%
Republican hold

District 37

Michigan's 37th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Walter H. North (incumbent) 55,143 62.31%
Democratic Kay Ann Chase 33,352 37.69%
Total votes 88,495 100.0%
Republican hold

District 38

Michigan's 38th Senate district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Don Koivisto (incumbent) 59,717 75.74%
Republican Patricia Jean Ashcraft 17,884 22.68%
Libertarian Charles Gershfield 1,246 1.58%
Total votes 78,847 100.0%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ^ "Legislators". legislature.mi.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  2. ^ "Election Results". mvic.sos.state.mi.us. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
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