(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/3/ 2022) "Kelly Elected By 6,000-Vote Edge."
The Detroit Free Press made this its lead headline on Thursday, Nov. 9, 1950, after unofficial election results had former Republican Gov. Harry F. Kelly making then-Democratic Gov. G. Mennen Williams a one-term governor.
But that wasn't the end of the story
Amid election fraud rumors, administration mix-ups and various errors, Williams ended up winning the 1950 election by 1,154 votes, the last time in Michigan history that a Democratic gubernatorial candidate won with a Democratic president in office.
The headline came two years after the Chicago Tribune's infamous "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline from the 1948 election.
The 1950 gubernatorial election ended up also being the closest in Michigan history.
"Michigan's greatest election muddle," was how the Free Press eventually described what happened after Election Day. It was an election that featured the continued alliance between the AFL, CIO and the UAW, which at the time were distinct and different union entities.
In prior elections, organized labor actually considered creating its own political party or supporting a third party, but ended up agreeing to support Democrats.
The working class' concentrated effort to support Democrats ended 90 years of the Republicans almost always running the table in Michigan elections. The unions worked together to get Williams elected in 1948 when President Harry S. Truman successfully ran for a full term.
But like 2022, 1950 was a mid-term and Democratic enthusiasm wasn't nearly as high as in presidential election years. Williams often butted heads with the Republican-led House and Senate that often didn't see things his way, particularly when it came to the budget. Also, the country was on edge with war raging in Korea.
In the hopes of knocking out Williams with a proven vote-getter, the Republicans put up Kelly as their nominee in 1950. Kelly had unseated former Gov. Murray VanWagoner in 1942 and the hope was he could do it again.
On Election Night things were looking good for him and Republicans.
"Kelly Gets Slim Lead" was the Detroit Free Press headline from the Wednesday, Nov. 8 edition, which had Kelly up by 27,270 votes with half of the precincts reporting. Returns from the Democratic strongholds of Wayne, Genesee and Muskegon, however, were lagging behind.
By the next day, it looked like Kelly's lead was enough. The Free Press reported that Republicans had swept all of the state's offices with only "a few straggling precincts unaccounted for."
Williams refused to concede, however, until the official canvass was complete. The lead shifted several times during the morning as more information came in. At that time, it appeared unlikely that Democrats would seek a recount, which would have cost $5 a precinct unless the Legislature agreed to let the state pay for it.
Then the problems started.
On Thursday, a review of the balloting revealed that at least 29 Detroit precincts had forgotten to count their straight party tickets in their tally. This shaved Kelly's win to 2,221.
Republicans immediately retained Waldo Granse and Ben Burdick, a pair of attorneys to review the official canvass. Also, other issues were found. Ward 22, District 8 shortchanged Williams 260 votes by reporting an unofficial tally for Williams as "28" instead of "288."
Genesee County turned up four previously unaccounted for precincts. That cut more than 700 votes off Kelly's lead. Williams gained another 50 votes when Alpena canvassers found an error there.
A pair of radio announcers reported a rumor that Williams had taken the lead.
"Hints of possible fraud were flatly denied by Marguerite Montgomery, the chair of the Detroit Canvassing Board," The Free Press reported. Montgomery planned on calling in all of the precinct chairs to hear how they forgot to count the straight-ticket ballots.
The county chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties were called in. They said it appeared to be an "honest error." Louis Urban, the Detroit election supervisor described the omission as "incomplete bookkeeping." Apparently, the same thing had happened in 1944 with 60 Detroit districts.
As the canvassing continued, Kelly's lead got smaller and smaller. On Nov. 10, now three days after the election, Kelly's lead was down to 307 votes after "an unprecedented number of adjustments in unofficial tallies."
In Macomb County, one Warren Township precinct had originally reported Williams winning 770-221, but the official returns had Kelly winning this heavily Democratic district 504-209. This was investigated
Panic was starting to set in. Would indecision, a likely recount and corresponding court cases postpone the final results until past the official swearing in of Jan. 1, 1951? What would happen in that case? Would Lt. Gov.-elect William C. VandenBerg (lieutenant governors were elected separate back then) need to serve as Governor until everything was sorted out?
By the weekend, 72 counties filed their complete returns with Wayne County planning to square everything up by Wednesday. By this point, Kelly was up by 314 votes.
Republicans and Democrats were "feverishly" passing the hat around so they could pay for a recount.
The canvassing process found even more errors.
In Oakland County, numbers telephoned in from Southfield Township were transcribed incorrectly. Kelly was given 3,986 votes, but it was actually 3,486.
By Monday, Williams was up over Kelly by 981 votes according to unofficial tabulations in the sixth unofficial reversal of the lead since the polls closed.
The official tabulation sent to the Secretary of State that week had Williams winning by 1,152 votes. Kelly asked for a recount.
The recount lasted several weeks, but ended Dec. 14 when Kelly pulled the plug on it.
"The recount has been carried forward sufficiently to establish that Gov. Williams received a majority of the votes," Kelly said. "I congratulate Gov. Williams upon his victory and wish him a successful administration."
Kelly called for election reform amid the various problems.
With that, two weeks before Inauguration Day, Williams held his celebration. With a 65% turnout and the most voters in a non-presidential election year in Michigan history at that point, Williams won what is currently the closest gubernatorial election in state history.
What was the second-closest gubernatorial election?
That came two years later when Williams did it again, this time defeating Secretary of State Fred ALGER Jr. by 8,618 votes out of 2.86 million votes cast.
This time, the Detroit Free Press wasn't so bold with the headline. On the Friday after the election, the paper led with "Williams Appears To Win With 7,749 Edge; Set Plans For Recount."
The closest statewide race of any sort is unlikely to be beaten. That came eight years prior in 1943 when Justice Emerson BOYLES beat Justice Bert CHANDLER for Supreme Court by two votes -- 179,228 to 179,226.
The closest gubernatorial elections in Michigan history are, in order:
1. 1950 G. Mennen Williams defeats Harry F. Kelly by 1,154 votes out of 2,113,122 votes cast (.06%)
2. 1952 G. Mennen Williams defeats Fred Alger Jr. by 8,618 votes out of 2,865,980 cast (.3%)
3. 1990 John Engler defeats Gov. Jim Blanchard by 17,595 votes out of 2,564,563 cast (.69%)
4. 1884 Josiah Begole defeats Russell Alger by 3,953 votes out of 400,298 cast (1%)
5. 1960 John Swainson defeats Paul Bagwell by 41,612 votes out of 3,255,991 cast (1.28%)
By the raw vote totals, the closest election was 1837, when Gov. Stevens T. Mason defeated Charles Trowbridge by 514 votes.
