1988 in Michigan

← 1987 1986 1985 1988 in Michigan → 1989 1990 1991
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1988 in the United States

Events from the year 1988 in Michigan.

Top Michigan news stories

The Associated Press (AP) selected the top stories in Michigan for 1988 as follows:

1. State ban on Medicaid funding for abortion.
2. A drought led Gov. Blanchard to impose a statewide ban on outdoor burning, fireworks and cigarette smoking.
3. Presidential politics, including Pat Robertson's popularity, Jesse Jackson's victory in the Michigan caucus, and Michael Dukakis losing the state
4. (tie) The creation of the Michigan Education Trust
5. (tie) Debate over changes in school financing.
6. Medical waste on state beaches.
7. The joint operating agreement between The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.
8. The trial and conviction of Alberta Easter and her three sons for the murder of three Inkster police officers.
9. (tie) Crack cocaine, including firebombings of crackhouses and trials of Richard "White Boy Rick" Wershe and the Chambers Brothers drug ring.
10. (tie) The surrender of Vincent Loonsfoot who was accused of killing four members of his wife's family on an Indian reservation near Escanaba.

The AP also selected the state's top sports stories as follows:

1. The Detroit Pistons taking the Lakers to seven games in the NBA finals.
2. Michigan State's victory over USC in the 1988 Rose Bowl.
3. The Detroit Red Wings advancing the Stanley Cup semifinals.
4. Kirk Gibson's signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
5. The Detroit Tigers finishing in second place in the American League East.
6. The Detroit Lions' firing of Darryl Rogers and replacing him with Wayne Fontes.
7. Flint native Jim Abbott leading the US baseball team in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
8. The 1988 Michigan football winning the Big Ten championship and earning a berth in the 1989 Rose Bowl.
9. Steve Yzerman emerging as a star with a 50-goal season.
10. The Red Wings' suspension of Bob Probert and Petr Klíma

Office holders

State office holders

Gov. Blanchard

• Governor of Michigan: James Blanchard (Democrat)
• Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Martha Griffiths (Democrat)
• Michigan Attorney General: Frank J. Kelley (Democrat)
• Michigan Secretary of State: Richard H. Austin (Democrat)
• Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Gary Owen (Democrat)
• Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate: John Engler (Republican)
• Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court:

Mayors of major cities

• Mayor of Detroit: Coleman Young
• Mayor of Grand Rapids: Gerald R. Helmholdt
• Mayor of Flint: Matthew S. Collier
• Mayor of Lansing: Terry John McKane
• Mayor of Ann Arbor: Gerald Jernigan (Republican)

Federal office holders

Sen. Riegle

Sen. Levin

• U.S. Senator from Michigan: Donald W. Riegle Jr. (Democrat)
• U.S. Senator from Michigan: Carl Levin (Democrat)
• House District 1: John Conyers (Democrat)
• House District 2: Carl Pursell (Republican)
• House District 3: Howard Wolpe (Republican)
• House District 4: Fred Upton (Republican)
• House District 5: Harold S. Sawyer (Republican)
• House District 6: Bob Carr (Democrat)
• House District 7: Dale Kildee (Democrat)
• House District 8: J. Bob Traxler (Democrat)
• House District 9: Guy Vander Jagt (Republican)
• House District 10: Bill Schuette (Republican)
• House District 11: Robert William Davis (Republican)
• House District 12: David Bonior (Democrat)
• House District 13: George Crockett Jr. (Democrat)
• House District 14: Dennis M. Hertel (Democrat)
• House District 15: William D. Ford (Democrat)
• House District 16: John Dingell (Democrat)
• House District 17: Sander Levin (Democrat)
• House District 18: William Broomfield (Republican)

Population

In the 1980 United States census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 9,259,000 persons, ranking as the eighth most populous state in the country. By 1990, the state's population had grown only marginally by 0.4% to 9,259,000 persons.

Cities

The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 50,000 based on 1980 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1970 and 1990 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1980 Rank	City	County	1970 Pop.	1980 Pop.	1990 Pop.	Change 1980-90
1	Detroit	Wayne	1,514,063	1,203,368	1,027,974	−14.6%
2	Grand Rapids	Kent	197,649	181,843	189,126	4.0%
3	Warren	Macomb	179,260	161,134	144,864	−10.1%
4	Flint	Genesee	193,317	159,611	140,761	−11.8%
5	Lansing	Ingham	131,403	130,414	127,321	−2.4%
6	Sterling Heights	Macomb	61,365	108,999	117,810	8.1%
7	Ann Arbor	Washtenaw	100,035	107,969	109,592	1.5%
8	Livonia	Wayne	110,109	104,814	100,850	−3.8%
9	Dearborn	Wayne	104,199	90,660	89,286	−1.5%
10	Westland	Wayne	86,749	84,603	84,724	0.1%
11	Kalamazoo	Kalamazoo	85,555	79,722	80,277	0.7%
12	Taylor	Wayne	70,020	77,568	70,811	−8.7%
13	Saginaw	Saginaw	91,849	77,508	69,512	−10.3%
14	Pontiac	Oakland	85,279	76,715	71,166	−7.2%
15	St. Clair Shores	Macomb	88,093	76,210	68,107	−10.6%
16	Southfield	Oakland	69,298	75,608	75,745	0.2%
17	Royal Oak	Oakland	86,238	70,893	65,410	−7.7%
18	Dearborn Heights	Wayne	80,069	67,706	60,838	−10.1%
19	Troy	Oakland	39,419	67,102	72,884	8.6%
20	Wyoming	Kent	56,560	59,616	63,891	7.2%
21	Farmington Hills	Oakland	--	58,056	74,611	28.5%
22	Roseville	Macomb	60,529	54,311	51,412	−5.3%
23	East Lansing	Ingham	47,540	51,392	50,677	−1.4%

Counties

The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1980 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1970 and 1990 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1980 Rank	County	Largest city	1970 Pop.	1980 Pop.	1990 Pop.	Change 1980-90
1	Wayne	Detroit	2,666,751	2,337,891	2,111,687	−9.7%
2	Oakland	Pontiac	907,871	1,011,793	1,083,592	7.1%
3	Macomb	Warren	625,309	694,600	717,400	3.3%
4	Genesee	Flint	444,341	450,449	430,459	−4.4%
5	Kent	Grand Rapids	411,044	444,506	500,631	12.6%
6	Ingham	Lansing	261,039	275,520	281,912	2.3%
7	Washtenaw	Ann Arbor	234,103	264,748	282,937	6.9%
8	Saginaw	Saginaw	219,743	228,059	211,946	−7.1%
9	Kalamazoo	Kalamazoo	201,550	212,378	223,411	5.2%
10	Berrien	Benton Harbor	163,875	171,276	161,378	−5.8%
11	Muskegon	Muskegon	157,426	157,589	158,983	0.9%
12	Ottawa	Holland	128,181	157,174	187,768	19.5%
13	Jackson	Jackson	143,274	151,495	149,756	−1.1%
14	Calhoun	Battle Creek	141,963	141,557	135,982	−3.9%
15	St. Clair	Port Huron	120,175	138,802	145,607	4.9%
16	Monroe	Monroe	118,479	134,659	133,600	−0.8%
17	Bay	Bay City	117,339	119,881	111,723	−6.8%
18	Livingston	Howell	58,967	100,289	115,645	15.3%

Births

• April 27 - Lizzo, recording artist, in Detroit
• May 25 - Lee Chatfield, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives (2019 - )

Gallery of 1988 births

• 
  Lee Chatfield

Deaths

• February 2 - G. Mennen Williams, Governor of Michigan (1949-1961), at age 76 in Detroit
• June 16 - Floyd J. McCree, first African-American Mayor of Flint, at age 65
• August 1 - John Dearden, Archbishop of Detroit (1958-1980) and a cardinal from 1969, at age 80 in Southfield, Michigan
• September 27 - J. C. Heard, swing, bop, and blues drummer, at age 71 in Royal Oak, Michigan
• November 13 - Antal Doráti, conductor and composer, conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1977–81), at age 82 in Gerzensee, Switzerland.

See also

• History of Michigan
• History of Detroit