[5] The race was not as close as expected, with Democrat Gretchen Whitmer was elected with 53.3% of the vote to Republican Bill Schuette's 43.8%.

Whitmer carried former Republican stronghold Kent County (location of her native Grand Rapids), the first Democratic candidate to do so since James Blanchard's landslide 1986 reelection.

Democrats swept the statewide races by also holding onto the Senate seat that was up for re-election, and picking up the positions of secretary of state and attorney general.

[134] Organizations The Green Party chose candidates for the 2018 ballot at its state convention on May 5, 2018, at the University of Michigan-Flint.

[250][251] While Whitmer's Democratic primary opponents publicly endorsed Whitmer in the general election,[252] Republican nominee Schuette left the party split after the acrimonious battle with lieutenant governor Calley, with outgoing governor Rick Snyder refusing to endorse Schuette.