Michigan, the new blue

On November 4, Michigan's 17 electoral votes went to winner Barack Obama, as expected.  57.4% of the vote, or 2,867,680 votes, went to Obama and 40.9% of the vote, or 2,044,405 votes, went to McCain.  1.7% of the vote, or 81,414 votes, went to other candidates.  Michigan saw record voter turnout, topping 5 million for the first time in state history.  This was an increase to 68% eligible voter turnout, from 64.7% n 2004.  Higher turnout was actually predicted.  Michigan's most populous counties saw the highest turnout - Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, and Kalamazoo.

There are speculations that Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm might hold a position in Obama's administration.  Governor Granholm is currently sitting on Obama's advisory committee on the economy, ensuring Michigan's hard-hit state economy substantial attention.  Granholm and the Los Angeles mayor are the only elected officials on the committee.

Substantial Democratic gains were made at the state level.  However, the state Senate was not up for election this year and remains in Republican control.  Even with a Democratic governor, the Senate can still block unfavorable legislation.  Michigan also got its first female Muslim legislator.

Michigan Democrats tightened their grip Tuesday on the state House, defeated two incumbent Republican congressmen, ousted a conservative Supreme Court chief justice...

In Oakland County, a northern Detroit suburb, Democrats broke a weak GOP hold on the area.

Democrats helped give Sen. Barack Obama a 16-percentage point win in the county more known for its wealthy lakefront estates than liberal leanings and picked up a historically Republican Congressional seat and two county-wide seats, and nearly bumped off two well-entrenched Oakland County politicians.

Much of the Democrat's success in Oakland County is attributed to straight ticket voters.  Local Republican leaders also say that people "froze" after McCain pulled his campaign from the state, "it was a mess."  Democrats also secured overwhelming victories in Macomb County, part of the Detroit metropolitan are, winning 22 of 26 seats on a Charter Commission to create a city government.

As speculated, the economy dominated the election this year, favoring Barack Obama.  Obama's message of change and hope also resonated well, many voters reported that they were tired of partisan politics and embraced Obama's promises of putting the people before partisanship.