Detroit - Terminating a 12-year reign of Republican leadership at Michigan's top post, Attorney General Jennifer Granholm emerged with victory Tuesday to become the first woman to boast the title of Michigan governor.
Democrats began celebrating her landmark victory minutes after the polls closed Tuesday. Hundreds of party loyalists were on hand late into the evening as Granholm eventually proclaimed victory over Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus at Detroit's Renaissance Center Ballroom.
Surrounded by red, white and blue balloons, Democratic supporters hugged, kissed and laughed with each other, relieved by Granholm's win. With 37 percent of precincts reporting, Granholm led with 53 percent, or 590,236, to Posthumus' 46 percent, or 516,407.
Granholm's running mate, state Sen. John Cherry of Clio, will serve as the state's next lieutenant governor.
"Tonight, I am honored and humbled to stand before you as the next governor in the state of Michigan," Granholm told cheering supporters as she declared her victory just before 11:30 p.m.
"And while it was my name and John Cherry's name that was on the ballot, the victory belongs to you - to the families that are the heart and soul of our cities and suburbs."
Granholm, 43, a native of Richmond, British Columbia, replaces three-term Republican Gov. John Engler, who is term-limited. Engler upset Democratic incumbent James Blanchard in 1990.
Blanchard, who lost to Granholm in the party's gubernatorial primary earlier this year, was among the first to address reporters after polls closed.
"I'm so happy we have a new Democratic governor," he said. "This is her night. I'm just thrilled."
Joking with the crowd in his hometown, a jubilant Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick coaxed supporters to raise their hands for Granholm earlier in the evening.
"Finally, we are going to have a situation where the girls are getting into the game," he said. "I have to admit that the game is always better when you let the girls play."
Shortly after 11 p.m., Posthumus addressed supporters at the Radisson Hotel, 111 N. Grand Ave. in Lansing, to concede the election to Granholm. State Sen. Loren Bennett of Canton ran as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.
"I love this state and I believe we have made it better," said Posthumus, who spoke about the people he met while campaigning during the past year. Many supporters choked back tears as the 20-year state politician spoke about wishing to work with Democrats.
Granholm's victory signals the "dawning of a new era," said MSU Democrats President Nate Engle, who attended the celebration in Detroit.
"Families, working people and, most importantly, students have won tonight," Engle said. "It was a great night for education in Michigan and, particularly, higher education."
With candidates from both parties ready to claim the top spots in state politics, MSU College Republicans President Jason Miller said the state will have a "divided government" that won't be "extreme in one way or another."
With division expected between the executive and legislative branches and revenue shortcomings plaguing state government, the next governor won't inherit an easy job, Miller said.
The next governor "won't be able to work on their campaign promises because of budget constraints," Miller said. "It is not a spot I envy."
Political analysts Ed Sarpolus and Steve Mitchell said the results of the governor's race mirrored those predicted in recent polls.
"Number one, she was a woman, she had three times more money than any other candidate, and she ran a good campaign," said Mitchell, chairman of East Lansing-based Mitchell Research and Communications.
"Posthumus lost because he was not able to cover all the issues and Granholm won with the majority of the issues she stood for such as crime, drugs, affirmative action, abortion and others," said Sarpolus, vice president of Lansing-based polling firm EPIC/MRA.
With Granholm leading by as much as 13 points in pre-election polls, the win didn't come as a surprise to supporters who came out Tuesday to show their appreciation for the governor-elect.
"I have some very dear Republican friends, but I am going to be very low-key about this because I want to keep them as friends," said Granholm supporter Manny Mejia. He stood next to Linda Karos as numbers from elections nationwide began to appear on the ballroom's big-screen television in Detroit.
Nejia said he never underestimated Posthumus, but wasn't surprised Granholm came out ahead. Both Sterling Heights residents volunteered earlier in the day to help get out the vote.
"This is phenomenal. It is like nothing I've ever seen before," Karos said, as a band in the background began playing Motown music. "I think now we have a team that will build Michigan, not destroy it."
Other supporters, such as Justin Ross, a University of Michigan student who attended the rally in Detroit, said it felt good to see "hard work pay off."
"I can't even imagine what would have happened if Posthumus had won," he said. "It would have been a big mistake, but it never entered my mind that he would win."
As Granholm stepped to the podium, she began by thanking her opponent, despite the bitter campaign that evolved in its final week.
"On behalf of my fellow Michiganians, who he has served for 20 years, I thanked him for his dedication and hard work, and I wished him well for his future," Granholm said of a phone conversation she had with Posthumus shortly before her announcement.
"And he wished me well in mine."
Staff writers Kelli Cynecki, Aaron Foley and Benita Mehta contributed to this report.
Megan Frye can be reached at fryemega@msu.edu. Chad Previch can be reached at previchc@msu.edu.
