2006 Gubernatorial election

Yet, as the 2006 election drew closer, Michigan's economy was still in a virtual freefall, and it looked like it would take Granholm's political career with it. By the summer of 2006, Granholm's approval rating was -19% (59% disapprove, 40% approve), with polling showing DeVos ahead in the competitive race. However, DeVos' lead came at a time when he was virtually unopposed on the airwaves, which did not last as Democrats began launching their own attack ads (DeVos ultimately still outspent Granholm, however). Throughout the campaign, DeVos continually attacked Granholm over the state's economy, arguing her policies were to blame for the seemingly endless job cuts and that his experience as a businessman was needed to deal with the economy. Granholm, meanwhile, connected DeVos to the highly unpopular President George W. Bush (R), arguing Bush's policies were contributing to the state's economic malaise while highlighting economic successes such as Google investing in Ann Arbor. Democrats also effectively attacked DeVos for his business record heading Amway, a company co-founded by his father, as during DeVos' tenure the company invested in China while laying workers off in Michigan. Finally, as the campaign wound on, Granholm was bolstered by dwindling Republican fortunes nationally and the unpopularity of President Bush in Michigan. As October turned to November, Granholm had managed to claw back enough ground for the race to be rated 'Lean Democratic', although the possibility of an upset was still very much possible.

On election night, however, the closeness of the campaign was not reflected in the results, as voters channeled their anger at Bush through the ballot box. Despite DeVos spending millions of his own fortune, Granholm won her second term by a convincing 14%, a 10% improvement from her victory four years prior, and flipped 28 counties. Granholm's victory was fueled by large margins in the Detroit metro area, the Upper Peninsula, and smaller metro areas such as Flint and Lansing. Additionally, Granholm performed well in traditionally Republican rural areas, especially in central and northern Michigan. DeVos, meanwhile, performed best in western Michigan, particularly in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, the lower thumb, and along the border with Indiana/Ohio. As of 2025, this is the largest margin of victory for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Michigan during the 21st century, as well as the second-largest altogether, only surpassed by Republican Rick Snyder's victory four years later. Granholm was term-limited in 2010, eventually becoming Secretary of Energy under President Joe Biden (D), while Dick DeVos' wife, Betsy DeVos, became notorious for her tenure as Secretary of Education under Donald Trump's first administration.  

*With her victory in 2002, Granholm became the first woman elected governor of Michigan.

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