2022 Michigan Attorney General election

For related races, see 2022 United States attorney general elections.

The 2022 Michigan Attorney General election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the Attorney General of the state of Michigan. Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel ran for re-election to a second term. She was first elected in 2018 with 49.0% of the vote.^[1]

2022 Michigan Attorney General election

← 2018 November 8, 2022 2026 →

Nominee Dana Nessel Matthew DePerno Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 2,329,195 1,952,408 Percentage 53.16% 44.56%

County results Congressional district results Municipality results Nessel:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% DePerno:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Tie:

Attorney General before election Dana Nessel Democratic Elected Attorney General Dana Nessel Democratic

Michigan does not hold partisan primaries for statewide offices other than governor. Instead, the state parties hold conventions in August to nominate candidates for the general election. Party nomination conventions were held on April 9 for the Michigan Democratic Party and April 23 for the Michigan Republican Party.^[2][3][4]

In August 2022, Reuters reported that presumptive Republican nominee Matthew DePerno "led a team that gained unauthorized access to voting equipment while hunting for evidence to support former President Donald Trump’s false election-fraud claims" following the 2020 election. Gaining unauthorized access to voting machines is a felony in Michigan. Current Michigan Attorney General Nessel requested the appointment of an independent specialist prosecutor to investigate DePerno and his team.^[5] DePerno and former state representative Daire Rendon were indicted by a grand jury on August 1, 2023.^[6] In contrast, during his campaign, DePerno criticized Nessel, as well as Governor Gretchen Whitmer, for their policies during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and accused Nessel of abusing her powers to silence her political rivals and of attacking the First Amendment, arguing her aforementioned appointing of an independent special prosecutor to investigate DePerno's unauthorized election investigation was one of these attacks.^[7]

This election marked the first time since 1998 that Democrats had won consecutively, and the first since 1994 that an incumbent Democrat had won re-election. It was also the best performance by a Democrat since 1998, and the worst performance by a Republican since 2002.

Democratic Party

Candidates

Nominee

• Dana Nessel, incumbent attorney general^[8]

Endorsements

Dana Nessel

Organizations

• Democracy for America^[9]
• Giffords^[10]
• Michigan Democratic Party^[4]
• NARAL Pro-Choice America^[11]

Labor unions

• American Federation of Teachers^[12]

Republican Party

Candidates

Nominee

• Matthew DePerno, private attorney (endorsed by state party)^[13]

Eliminated at convention

• Ryan Berman, state representative from the 39th district^[14]
• Tom Leonard, former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives and nominee in 2018^[15]

Endorsements

Matthew DePerno

U.S. Executive Branch officials

• Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States (2017–2021)^[16]

Organizations

• Michigan Republican Party^[17]

Tom Leonard

Organizations

• Central Michigan College Republicans
• Ferris State College Republicans
• Michigan Federation of College Republicans^[18]
• Right to Life of Michigan^[19]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball[20]	Leans D	November 3, 2022
Elections Daily[21]	Leans D	November 1, 2022

Post-primary endorsements

Dana Nessel (D)

U.S. Executive Branch officials

• Pete Buttigieg, 19th United States Secretary of Transportation (2021–present) and Mayor of South Bend (2012–2020)^[22]
• Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States (2009–2017) and U.S. Senator from Illinois (2005–2008)^[23]

Organizations

• Human Rights Campaign^[24]
• National Wildlife Federation^[25]

Newspapers

• Detroit Free Press^[26]
• The Michigan Daily^[27]

Polling

Graphical summary

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Dana Nessel (D)	Matthew DePerno (R)	Other	Undecided
Cygnal (R)[28]	November 1–4, 2022	1,603 (LV)	± 2.5%	48%	44%	3%[b]	6%
Mitchell Research[29]	November 3, 2022	658 (LV)	± 3.8%	47%	44%	1%[c]	8%
Cygnal (R)[30]	October 31 – November 2, 2022	1,754 (LV)	± 2.3%	47%	43%	3%[d]	7%
EPIC-MRA[31]	October 28 – November 1, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	48%	42%	3%[e]	7%
Cygnal (R)[32]	October 27–31, 2022	1,584 (LV)	± 2.5%	47%	42%	3%[f]	8%
Cygnal (R)[33]	October 25–29, 2022	1,543 (LV)	± 2.5%	47%	41%	4%[g]	8%
The Glengariff Group, Inc.[34]	October 26–28, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	44%	43%	5%	8%
Cygnal (R)[35]	October 23–27, 2022	1,822 (LV)	± 2.3%	46%	42%	4%[h]	8%
Cygnal (R)[36]	October 21–25, 2022	1,378 (LV)	± 2.6%	46%	43%	4%[i]	7%
Cygnal (R)[37]	October 19–23, 2022	1,459 (LV)	± 2.6%	45%	43%	3%[j]	8%
Cygnal (R)[38]	October 17–21, 2022	1,904 (LV)	± 2.3%	45%	42%	4%[k]	9%
Mitchell Research[39]	October 19, 2022	541 (LV)	± 4.2%	46%	43%	3%[l]	8%
Cygnal (R)[40]	October 15–19, 2022	1,793 (LV)	± 2.3%	45%	43%	4%[m]	9%
Cygnal (R)[41][A]	October 12–14, 2022	640 (LV)	± 3.9%	45%	43%	3%[n]	8%
EPIC-MRA[42]	October 6–12, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	43%	39%	4%[o]	14%
The Glengariff Group, Inc.[43]	September 26–29, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	43%	30%	7%[p]	18%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[44]	September 24–28, 2022	1,075 (LV)	± 2.9%	48%	45%	3%[q]	4%
EPIC-MRA[45][B]	September 15–19, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	48%	39%	–	13%
EPIC-MRA[46][C]	September 7–13, 2022	800 (LV)	± 3.5%	48%	40%	7%[r]	5%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[47]	August 22–25, 2022	1080 (LV)	± 2.9%	49%	47%	–	4%
EPIC-MRA[48]	August 18–23, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	43%	39%	–	18%
The Glengariff Group, Inc.[49]	July 5–8, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	44%	38%	–	18%
Target Insyght[50]	May 26–27, 2022	600 (RV)	± 4.0%	54%	23%	–	23%
EPIC-MRA[51]	May 11–17, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	43%	41%	–	16%
ARW Strategies (R)[52][D]	April 18–20, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	42%	41%	–	17%
The Glengariff Group, Inc.[53]	January 3–7, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	44%	34%	–	22%

Hypothetical polling

Dana Nessel vs. Tom Leonard

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Dana Nessel (D)	Tom Leonard (R)	Undecided
The Glengariff Group, Inc.[53]	January 3–7, 2022	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	42%	36%	23%

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of October 23, 2022
Candidate (party)	Total receipts	Total disbursements	Cash on hand
Matthew DePerno (R)	$1,128,796.58	$823,888.63	$304,907.95
Dana Nessel (D)	$5,437,349.35	$5,192,193.84	$166,649.18
Source: Michigan Department of State[54]

Results

2022 Michigan Attorney General election^[55]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Dana Nessel (incumbent)	2,329,195	53.16%	+4.12%
	Republican	Matthew DePerno	1,952,408	44.56%	−1.70%
	Libertarian	Joseph W. McHugh Jr.	67,846	1.55%	−0.55%
	Constitution	Gerald T. Van Sickle	32,431	0.74%	−0.18%
Total votes			4,381,880	100.00%
	Democratic hold

By congressional district

Nessel won eight of 13 congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.^[56]

District	Nessel	DePerno	Representative
1st	43%	55%	Jack Bergman
2nd	39%	58%	John Moolenaar
3rd	55%	43%	Peter Meijer (117th Congress)
			Hillary Scholten (118th Congress)
4th	48%	49%	Bill Huizenga
5th	39%	58%	Tim Walberg
6th	65%	33%	Debbie Dingell
7th	53%	45%	Elissa Slotkin
8th	54%	44%	Dan Kildee
9th	39%	58%	Lisa McClain
10th	54%	44%	John James
11th	63%	35%	Haley Stevens
12th	74%	24%	Rashida Tlaib
13th	75%	22%	Shri Thanedar

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
2. "Third party candidate" with 3%
3. "Another candidate" with 1%
4. "Third party candidate" with 3%
5. McHugh (L) with 2%; Van Sickle (UTP) with 1%
6. "Third party candidate" with 3%
7. "Third party candidate" with 4%
8. "Third party candidate" with 4%
9. "Third party candidate" with 4%
10. "Third party candidate" with 3%
11. "Third party candidate" with 4%
12. "Another candidate" with 3%
13. "Third party candidate" with 4%
14. "Third party candidate" with 3%
15. McHugh (L) with 2%; Van Sickle (UTP) with 1%
16. McHuge with 4%; "Refused to answer" and Sickle with 2%; Hogan
17. "Other" with 3%
18. "Third party candidate" with 7%

Partisan clients

1. This poll was sponsored by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters
2. Poll conducted for WJRT-TV and the Detroit Free Press.
3. Poll conducted for MIRS, Governmental Consultant Services Inc., and the Life Insurance Association of Michigan.
4. Poll sponsored by DePerno's campaign