One name frequently mentioned is Senate Minority Leader John Cherry of Clio, who would provide some legislative experience for the ticket.

Mr. Posthumus said he is in no hurry to select a running mate, and has a long list to consider of people who meet his top qualification of being prepared to be governor.   He repeated that statement twice when asked if the field could potentially include a pro-choice candidate, but also added he has worked to make sure the party accepts differences and has a track record of hiring qualified staff members regardless of their position on that issue.

Still, he said abortion will be a big issue of difference, among many.   "She believes in partial birth abortion," he said.   "I don't.   She believes in changing (school finance) Proposal A; I don't.   I believe in the (concealed weapons) law; she hasn't."

THE BREAKDOWN: According to exit polls, Ms. Granholm did the best among Republican women voting in the Democratic primary, with 73 percent of those voting backing her.   She did next best among independent men, getting 64 percent of their votes.   Third were independent women, giving 53 percent.   Ironically she only polled 42 percent of Democratic women.

The basic gender split was not that great.   Overall, 45 percent of the women voting backed Ms. Granholm, while 38 percent of the men voting backed her.

Age played little difference as well.   A total of 42 percent of those over 40 backed her, while 41 percent of those under 40 backed her.   She did slightly better with Baby Boomers, 45 percent, than with the Silent Majority, 43 percent.   She did the worst with the G.I. generation, the oldest group, netting just 28 percent of their votes.

Regionally, she owned the southwestern part of the state, winning 82 percent of the Democratic votes, and won 79 percent of the Democratic votes cast in the Grand Rapids area.   She did the worse in the Democratic stronghold of metro Detroit, getting 34 percent to Mr. Bonior's 35 percent.

While her stance on abortion became an issue in the race, she ironically did better with pro-lifers than with pro-choice voters-45 percent to 42 percent.   And she heavily outpolled Mr. Bonior, the only pro-life Democrat running.

Ultimately, Ms. Granholm did worst with black men, getting 27 percent, than any other group.   Those voters split evenly, 36 percent each, between Mr. Bonior and Mr. Blanchard.

NEWCOMER SEEMS TO STUN GARZA; HOUSE G.O.P. INCUMBENTS WIN

For the first time in six years, an incumbent seeking re-election to the House of Representatives appears to have been defeated by voters as Rep. Belda Garza of Detroit suffered a likely surprising loss in the 12^th District Democratic primary to well-funded newcomer Steve Tobocman of Detroit.

With all precincts reporting, Mr. Tobocman led Ms. Garza by 199 votes-but none of the absentee ballots had been counted because of problems with tabulating absentee ballots in Detroit.   Mr. Tobocman was not declaring victory and Ms. Garza could not be reached for comment, but Democratic observers said at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday that they expected Mr. Tobocman to prevail.

Mr. Tobocman caught Ms. Garza off-guard by outspending her by more than two-to-one and waging an aggressive door-to-door campaign in the diverse southwest Detroit district.   Ms. Garza would become the first House incumbent to be denied re-election since 1996 when three incumbents fell in the primary and three more in the general election.

But the four Republican incumbents who faced tough primary challenges all prevailed: James Koetje (R-Walker), Mike Pumford (R-Newaygo), John Stewart (R-Plymouth) and Barb Vander Veen (R-Allendale).

Tuesday's races also determined the Democratic and Republican nominees in districts that will be key to determining which party controls the House in 2003-04.   Republicans control the House 58-51 with one reliably Democratic vacancy slated to be filled Tuesday.

And there were some surprises in the open seat races.   There will be at least 52 new members in the House next term.   A cliffhanger is unfolding in the 47^th House District where Livingston County Commissioner David Domas unofficially won by one vote over upstart Joe Hune, a member of the House clerk staff, in a race that will assuredly see a recount.   Toolroom engineer John Stahl of Arcadia Township also surprised Republicans by winning the 82^nd District GOP primary in Lapeer County.   And while Michelle McManus won the GOP nomination in the 35^th Senate District, her dad Mike McManus suffered a surprising upset in the 104^th House District to Howard Walker of Peninsula Township, a former Traverse City school board member.

Mr. Tobocman said he was surprised the 12^th District race was close, saying he expected to win by a more comfortable margin.

"We worked our asses off," he said.   "We knocked on 7,000 doors.   Nobody had done that around here in a long time. ... We spoke a vision of basic representation, and it really caught fire."

Detroit political observers and Democrats said Ms. Garza appeared to be unprepared for such a stiff challenge and did not rev up her campaign until July.

Mr. Stewart savored his win, which was somewhat of an upset considering the money spent against him and the loss of moderate Republican voters who voted in the Democratic primary for Jennifer Granholm, who lives in the 20^th District.   Conservative Jonathon Grant of Plymouth waged a tough campaign-aided by Stewart enemy Rep. Bruce Patterson (R-Canton)-but Mr. Stewart prevailed by a 57 to 43 percent margin.

"I worked very hard.   I knew my district," he said.   "I know my people.   Plymouth is not for sale."

Nine of Mr. Stewart's fellow House Republicans took the rare step of endorsing Mr. Grant.   Mr. Stewart said, "We've got to go back to the rules" where incumbents back each other.

Mr. Grant said he learned important lessons in this his first campaign and vowed to challenge Mr. Stewart again in 2004, noting there are 728 days until the primary that year.

"I'm just warming up.   I learned a lot this time," he said.

Rep. Barb Vander Veen of Allendale scored a crushing 64 percent to 36 percent victory-and a surprising rout-in the 89^th House District Republican primary over Sen. Leon Stille of Grand Haven Township.   Despite being the incumbent, Ms. Vander Veen as a first-term legislator entered the race as an underdog against the veteran Mr. Stille, who ran for the House because he was barred by term limits from seeking re-election to the Senate.

But the race's dynamics changed dramatically when Mr. Stille was caught illegally dumping trash in a school dumpster and not initially acknowledging the transgression.

"One of the biggest things is just that we worked very hard," Ms. Vander Veen said.

The dumpster incident "hurt him" although it is hard to gauge whether the flap was decisive, Ms. Vander Veen said.   It did come up frequently as she visited voters' homes, she said.

Mr. Stille downplayed the impact of his faux pas.   "I don't think it played much at all really.   It was a 20-second decision that blew up," he said.

Intervention by Betsy DeVos' Great Lakes Education Project political action committee and voters' distaste for a senator challenging a representative most likely caused his defeat, Mr. Stille said.

"There were probably several things-not the least of which was Betsy DeVos' money and intervention into the race," he said.   "Number two: people looking at a senator stepping down and running against a representative and reacting to that."

In the 100^th House District, Mr. Pumford was fuming about the campaign run against him even as he celebrated a smashing victory-winning 58 percent of the vote to 33 percent for businessman David Noble and 9 percent for John Herremans.   Ms. DeVos' PAC and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce published numerous mailings attacking Mr. Pumford and aiding Mr. Noble, his principal opponent.   Mr. Pumford said every day for the last two weeks his opponents have "trashed" him.

"Quite frankly, we're kicking their ass two-to-one," Mr. Pumford said.   "They just brought out everything they had. ... We have not printed one negative mailing.   We've taken the high road."

In the 86^th House District, Mr. Koetje staved off a tough challenge from three opponents in a mostly new district for the second-term House member.   After trailing at one point in the evening, Mr. Koetje won with 34 percent of the vote to 28 percent for Bob Eleveld of Grand Rapids Township, 20 percent for physician Wayne Creelman of Grand Rapids Township and 18 percent for Ada attorney Ross Leisman.

"We were right on the issues," Mr. Koetje said.   "We worked as hard or harder than anybody."

The race was a high-spending one with Mr. Koetje's challengers outspending him.   Mr. Koetje moved from Grandville to Walker to run for the seat so he could continue representing a principally Kent County seat.   It also allowed him to avoid an uphill battle against Sen. William Van Regenmorter (R-Hudsonville), who is running for the 74^th House District, which contains Grandville.

"It was quite a challenge-no doubt about that," he said.

House Speaker Rick Johnson (R-LeRoy) said he was thrilled that all Republicans seeking re-election won renomination, crediting hard work and an incumbent-friendly mood.

"They just did the work it takes," he said.   "They went out and met the public in their districts.   I love it."

Mr. Johnson said House Republicans in particular were thrilled with Ms. Vander Veen winning.   "Barb is a hard worker," he said.   "She got out certainly in the year and a half she's been (in the House)."

House Minority Leader Buzz Thomas (D-Detroit) could not be reached for comment.   House Democratic spokesperson Dennis Denno said the caucus was "disappointed" with Ms. Garza's loss.

Overall, Mr. Denno said Democrats saw a theme of moderate candidates winning up and down the ticket-candidates like Mr. Stewart, John J. Hertel in the 32^nd District and Jennifer Elkins in the 97^th District.   Of Mr. Stewart's victory, Mr. Denno said, "Here you have the Republican establishment supporting Jon Grant and voters basically slapped the Republican establishment in the face."

Looking ahead to the fall, Mr. Denno said Democrats have a good crop of candidates for the fall.   Mr. Johnson also touted GOP candidates.

A look at the primaries that will shape the key general election battles:

17^th:  Republican former Wayne County Commissioner Kathleen Husk of Redford and Democratic Dearborn Heights City Council President Dan Paletko made surprisingly easy work of their opposition and advanced to the general election.

21^st:  Republican Canton Township Trustee Phil LaJoy and Democratic Plymouth-Canton school board member Mark Slavens defeated their primary opposition and advance to the general election.

23^rd:  Gibraltar City Councilmember Kathleen Law scored a minor upset, defeating other Democrats who had big endorsements on their side.   She will face Grosse Ile Supervisor Doug Jones, who was unopposed for the GOP nomination.

24^th:  Republican businessman Jack Brandenburg of Harrison Township crushed St. Clair Shores City Councilmember Bill Nearon and will be favored to defeat Democratic former St. Clair Shores Councilmember Frank Benson.

32^nd:  John J. Hertel crushed his Democratic opposition and advances to face Republican businessman Dan Acciavatti, who defeated two opponents.

37^th:  Valerie Knol completed her tough campaign and defeated Oakland County Commissioner Terry Sever in the Republican primary.   She advances to face Democratic former Farmington Hills Mayor Aldo Vagnozzi in a top-tier general election.

52^nd:  Attorney Pam Byrnes, a Washtenaw County road commissioner, narrowly defeated attorney David Nacht of Ann Arbor and moves on to face Rep. Gene DeRossett (R-Manchester) in the fall.

55^th:  Matt Milosch of Bedford soundly defeated two Republican opponents and advances to face Democratic Monroe County Commissioner Gail Hauser-Hurley of Bedford.

63^rd:  Kalamazoo County Commissioner Lorence Wenke topped three Republican opponents and will face Democratic Pennfield Township Supervisor Judy Mackinder.

91^st:  Real estate broker and former lobbyist David Farhat of Fruitport won the Republican nomination and will take on Democratic Muskegon County Commissioner Nancy Frye in what will be a hotly contested general election.   Mr. Farhat comfortably defeated former Mona Shores Public Schools Superintendent Ken Walcott in the Republican primary.

97^th:  Clare County Commissioner Jennifer Elkins of Lake scored a minor upset by defeating Rex Gibson and Deb Zarazua in the Democratic primary.   Ms. Elkins moves on to face Republican David Coker of Clare County's Surrey Township.   Mr. Coker comfortably defeated fellow Republicans Timothy Jay and Ron Actis.

106^th:  Attorney Matt Gillard of Alpena narrowly defeated party-switcher Roy Spangler in the Democratic primary and advances to face Grayling Mayor David Wyman, who emerged from a six-way Republican primary.

TIGHT RACES BUT FEW SURPRISES IN SENATE ELECTIONS

The races expected to be tight in the Senate primaries largely did not disappoint, but major surprises were few as results trickled in throughout the night.   Only one incumbent appeared headed to defeat, as Sen. Ray Murphy (D-Detroit) could not overcome the challenge from Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit).

The results in the 21^st District were in question late into the evening, but with the results from Berrien County finally coming in, Rep. Ron Jelinek (R-Three Oaks) defeated Rep. Bob Brackenridge.

And in three of the tightest-and toughest fought-races, three women candidates bested their male opponents.   Rep. Nancy Cassis (R-Novi) defeated Rep. Mike Kowall (R-White Lake) for the Republican nomination in the 15^th Senate District.  

In the 24^th Senate District, Rep. Patricia Birkholz (R-Saugatuck) won by an easy margin over former Rep. Terry Geiger.

And Sen. Shirley Johnson (R-Royal Oak) held off a ferocious challenge by Rep. Bob Gosselin (R-Troy) in one the ugliest races in the state in the 13^th District.

One of the most striking aspects of the primary results is that the number of women in the Senate in November will more than double, to at least 12, given the victories of women candidates in seats where the primary essentially governs the outcome of the race.

Results were slow in coming from many areas of the state, especially in the Metro Detroit area.   In lieu of hard numbers, rumors sometimes floated.   One of the more outrageous rumors had Ms. Johnson in serious trouble against Mr. Gosselin, a rumor that was not borne out.   Another rumor had Ms. Cassis beating Mr. Kowall by only some 80 votes when her margin was more comfortable.

Mr. Murphy's defeat means he ends a legislative career that is 20 years long.   First elected to the House in 1992, he was elected to the Senate in 1998 succeeding former Sen. Henry Stallings who had resigned after being convicted on felony charges (later reduced to a misdemeanor).   He is the assistant minority floor leader.

The results in selected districts are:

1^st District:   Mr. Clarke defeated Mr. Murphy by a surprisingly large margin.   With 63 percent reporting, Mr. Hansen had 48 percent to Mr. Murphy's 32 percent, with the other candidates splitting the difference.   Officials had said Mr. Murphy was feeling confident enough of victory to cancel a radio ad buy planned for the final weekend, but he was running in a largely new district and Mr. Clarke had more of the area from his House seat.

2^nd District:   Sen. Martha Scott (D-Highland Park) easily held off a major challenge from Rep. LaMar Lemmons (D-Detroit) winning the primary with 46 percent of the vote to his 30 percent with 58 percent reporting.   Three other candidates divided the remainder of the tally.   In a somewhat poignant reminder of the disastrous financial condition of Ms. Scott's hometown of Highland Park, vote totals there were handled by volunteers since the city has had to eliminate its paid clerk staff.

4^th District:  House Democratic Leader Buzz Thomas was leading for the nomination, after fighting off an unexpectedly tough campaign from Monica Conyers, wife to U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit).   With 60 percent reporting, he had 54 percent of the vote to her 36 percent, with two other candidates splitting the remainder.

5^th District:  Incumbent Sen. Burton Leland (D-Detroit) was never in danger against Rep. Derrick Hale   (D-Detroit) in a race that featured two candidates who did not like each other.   With 60 percent of the vote reporting, Mr. Leland had 60 percent of the total.   While he held a solid lead in the Detroit precincts in the district, Mr. Leland crushed Mr. Hale in the Dearborn section of the district, winning some 75 percent of the vote there.

10^th District:   Some observers were saying as balloting began that the race could be tight, despite earlier indications that Rep. Mickey Switalski (D-Roseville) had run a better campaign than former Rep. Sharon Gire and long-shot Roger Maceroni.   But as soon as votes were being counted Mr. Switalski took a commanding lead, at one point with some 75 percent of the vote with Ms. Gire holding about 14 percent.   She was expected to win Clinton Township, but it was unlikely she could win it by a wide enough margin to overcome that lead.   With 71 percent of the vote report, Mr. Switalski had 50 percent to her 35 percent, with Mr. Maceroni pulling third.

12^th District:   Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) was heavily outspent by former Rep. David Galloway for the Republican nomination, but with 98 percent of the vote counted was leading with a nearly 8,000-vote margin.   He called the nomination victory a tribute to volunteer help and an "old-fashioned grass roots campaign."

13^th District:  The race for the GOP nomination here was one of the most brutal in the state, but Ms. Johnson declared victory over Mr. Gosselin by some 2,300 votes.   Ms. Johnson's chief of staff, Brian O'Connell, said the win "means Macomb County politics and Bob Gosselin's negative campaign and lies, and the libertarians who want to take over the Republican Party, have failed."

15^th District:   In another fiercely fought campaign, Ms. Cassis won by about 1,000 votes over Mr. Kowall.   David Wolkinson, who tried to strike an ideological difference in the race, came in a distant third.

16^th District:   Rep. Cameron Brown (R-Sturgis) showed surprising strength against Rep. Steve Vear (R-Hillsdale) and appeared headed to an easy victory in a race that many thought the more conservative Mr. Vear would win, especially with the help the Hillsdale resident got from the Betsy DeVos' organization, the Great Lakes Education Project.   With 114 of 115 precincts reporting, Mr. Brown was leading by some 3,900 votes over Mr. Vear.

18^th District:   Former Rep. Liz Brater defeated Rep. John Hansen (D-Dexter) for the right to carry the Democratic banner in the Washtenaw County seat.   While she will face Republican Gordon Darr, also of Dexter, in November, Ms. Brater should win the seat easily, marking the third consecutive woman to represent the area in the Senate after former Sen. Lana Pollack and Sen. Alma Smith (D-Salem Township).

20^th District: Rep. Jerry Vander Roest (R-Galesburg) had hoped to succeed his former boss, Sen. Dale Shugars (R-Portage) in the seat, but Rep. Tom George (R-Portage) appeared to hold him off.   With just over 50 percent of the precincts reporting, Mr. George had about a 2,000-vote edge over Mr. Vander Roest.   Mr. George will now face former Rep. Ed LaForge in a race Democrats hold out some hope of winning.

21^st District:   In a race that was closely watched over a battle of endorsements, former Mr. Brackenridge declared himself the winner over Mr. Jelinek and Steven Goforth.   But in the pre-dawn hours, with the results finally tallied Mr. Jelinek was the winner by some 800 votes.

23^rd District:  Almost from the moment the votes were counted, former Rep. Lingg Brewer said he had lost the Democratic nomination to Rep. Virg Bernero (D-Lansing) since the first results came from out-county Ingham County where Mr. Brewer's strength lay.   With 100 percent of the results in, Mr. Bernero crushed Mr. Brewer by nearly 20 percentage points.   He now faces Rep. Paul DeWeese (R-Williamston) in the general election.

24^th District:  It was a seesaw battle to start with, as the lead switched several times between Ms. Birkholz and Mr. Geiger, but as the night wore on Ms. Birkholz took a lead and never relinquished it to Mr. Geiger and political newcomer Joe Wicks.   With just four precincts remaining to be tallied, she led Mr. Geiger by some 2,600 votes.

33^rd District:   Former Rep. Alan Cropsey headed to victory for the GOP nomination over former Rep. Jim McBryde and longshot Dennis Stewart.   Mr. McBryde had generated the bulk of endorsements and had appeared to score some ideological points against Mr. Cropsey by tying him to the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, but in the end Mr. Cropsey's network of conservative supporters held on.   With 100 percent of the vote in, Mr. Cropsey won the nomination with 50 percent.

35^th District:   Former Rep. Michelle McManus was declared the winner in the battle between she and Rep. David Mead (R-Frankfort).   Morris Langworthy Jr. was also running in the seat.   The race was also one highlighted by the role the GLEP played, which came in heavily on Ms. McManus's side.   With nearly 100 percent in, Ms. McManus had 49 percent of the vote to Mr. Mead's 35 percent.

36^th District:   With 88 percent of the vote counted, Rep. Tony Stamas (R-Midland) won with 46 percent of the vote over two former legislators: Rep. Allen Lowe's 39 percent and Bev Bodem's 15 percent.

38^th District:   Former Rep. Mike Prusi crushed Rep. Doug Bovin (D-Gladstone) for the nomination in this Democratic stronghold.   With 88 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Prusi had 64 percent of the vote.

DINGELL DECLARES VICTORY; UPTON MAKES STRONG SHOWING

One of the most watched U.S. House races in the country ended with U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Dearborn) declaring victory over opponent U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) about 10:30 p.m. The other primary of interest involving an incumbent went easily to U.S. Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) as he brushed aside another conservative in Sen. Dale Shugars (R-Portage).

Projected results gave Mr. Dingell 55 percent and Ms. Rivers 44 percent, leading Ms. Rivers to concede. And the result likely means a return for Mr. Dingell to Congress in the district designed by the Republican-led Legislature to pit the two incumbents against each other.

There is a Republican running in November, Martin Kaltenbach of Dearborn, but Mr. Dingell is likely to be returned to the chamber he has served for 47 years.

"The people of the 15^th District care a lot about the issues Mr. Dingell does:   health care, the environment, education, jobs, prescription drugs and effectiveness," said Laura Sheehan, Dingell spokesperson.

"Tonight we stop being independent campaigns.   Tomorrow we become a Democratic Party," Ms. Rivers said.

"We ran a great race," said Rivers spokesperson Matt Burgess.   "Lynn Rivers is not done in public life."

What her future will hold Mr. Burgess said was not sure and he said would not be decided until she had gotten some sleep tonight.

The race was seen nationally as a struggle between a Congressional powerhouse against a younger, more liberal opponent and involved top celebrities, congressional leaders and interest groups.

UPTON-SHUGARS: Mr. Upton will likely be returning to Congress, having taken nearly 70 percent of the vote in the largely Republican 6^th District.

Mr. Upton said his accomplishments and his stance on the issues attracted voters.

"People responded to the issues," he said.   "I think the district wanted a steady hand.   We've got some tough times with the war, unemployment.   As a member of the majority, I've been a supporter of virtually every issue before the House."

His opponent, Mr. Shugars, in contrast, had "been a good no vote and he hasn't been a player in terms of getting things done as part of the leadership team," Mr. Upton said.

Mr. Upton said attacks aimed at him had also backfired.

Mr. Shugars had anticipated that the heavily conservative area would turn to him on the basis of his anti-abortion record and his support for gun rights.

Mr. Upton had been blasted for supporting legislation in the mid-1990s that limited ownership of automatic weapons.   In a second, ironic victory, Tuesday, the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the law.

SCHUETTE, CAVANAGH VIE FOR COURT OF APPEALS

With nearly 50 percent of the early primary vote, Sen. Bill Schuette (R-Midland) appeared to be the one to beat going into the November election.   And it appeared that Lansing attorney James Cavanagh would be the one to make that challenge, though by a much narrower margin.

The two won the nominations to run for the new seat in the Court of Appeals fourth district.

"I'm really grateful for the exceptionally strong showing in the primary this evening," Mr. Schuette said.   "But it's just half time, so it on to November."

Though he said his advertising spending, which far exceeded the combined spending of his opponents Mr. Cavanagh and 55^th District Court Judge Thomas Brennan Jr., helped to boost his numbers, he said his efforts to attract support from both Republicans and Democrats.