1974 Michigan Secretary of State election
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November 5, 1974
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| Elections in Michigan |
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The 1974 Michigan Secretary of State election was held on November 5. Incumbent Democrat Richard H. Austin defeated Republican nominee N. Lorraine Beebe.
History
[edit]Incumbent Democrat Richard H. Austin was first elected state secretary of state in 1970. He was the first Black Michigan Secretary of State, and sought a second term in 1974.[1] N. Lorraine Beebe, former state senator, announced she would seek the Republican nomination for secretary of state in June 1972. She had resigned as executive director of the Michigan Consumers Council a month earlier, amidst reports of dissatisfaction with her performance from Governor William Milliken. She announced her candidacy without consulting with her party.[2]
The Democratic state convention was held from August 24 to 25 at Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids. The Republican state convention was held from August 23 to 24 at Cobo Hall in Detroit.[3] Both Austin and Beebe were unopposed for nomination at their respective conventions.[4][5] Beebe was reported as the first woman nominated for secretary of state in Michigan.[6]
Beebe's campaign was underfunded compared to Austin's.[1] Austin won re-election. He was sworn in on January 1, 1975.[7]
Results
[edit]The following are the official results as printed in the 1975–1976 Michigan Manual.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard H. Austin (incumbent) | 1,767,344 | 69.27% | |
| Republican | N. Lorraine Beebe | 742,805 | 29.11% | |
| American Independent | Henry W. Kroes Jr. | 16,791 | 0.65% | |
| Human Rights | James F. McClure | 13,990 | 0.54% | |
| Conservative | Robert G. Lee | 4,434 | 0.17% | |
| Socialist Workers | Rachele Fruit | 2,250 | 0.08% | |
| U.S. Labor | Judith S. Crowell | 1,858 | 0.07% | |
| Socialist Labor | John Gill Motzer | 1,674 | 0.06% | |
| Write-in | 12 | 0.00% | ||
| Total votes | 2,551,158 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Secretary Of State Candidates Campaign Here". Kalamazoo Gazette. October 18, 1974. p. 4. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Beebe to Seek Nomination For Secretary of State". Lansing State Journal. June 5, 1974. p. 17. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Dems, GOP to name statewide slates at party convention". Battle Creek Enquirer. August 6, 1974. p. 16. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Democratic state convention called 'love-in' by one delegate". The Times Herald. August 24, 1974. p. 14. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Smeekens Under Fire at GOP Convention". Lansing State Journal. August 24, 1974. p. 3. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "State GOP ticket has two firsts, woman and black". The Times Herald. August 26, 1974. p. 8. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Milliken Rejects 'Defeatism' In Second Term Inaugural". Petoskey News-Review. January 2, 1975. p. 7. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Michigan manual 1975/1976. 1975. pp. 548–549.
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