Democratic Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, the longest-serving member of the House, was nominated for a 24th term Tuesday after a furious primary challenge from the younger, more liberal Rep. Lynn Rivers.

“She did make us work, I want to say,” said Dingell, who has served in Congress for 47 years. “The primary this year was extremely difficult.”

Voters in Michigan also chose candidates to fill a governor’s seat opened up by term limits. But the race of the day was the clash between Dingell and Rivers, a four-term incumbent who challenged the 23-term veteran on gun control, abortion and the environment.

With 72 percent of precincts reporting, Dingell had 42,907 votes, or 64 percent, and Rivers had 24,057 votes, or 36 percent.

Rivers is the sixth House incumbent to be ousted in a primary this year while Dingell is expected to win re-election this fall in the heavily Democratic district.

Dingell, 76, and Rivers, 45, were pitted against each other by Republican state lawmakers in control of redistricting required by 2000 census numbers.

In the Michigan governor’s race, Atty. Gen. Jennifer Granholm defeated two of the state’s most influential Democrats Rep. David Bonior and former Gov. James Blanchard for the chance to replace GOP Gov. John Engler, who is barred from seeking a fourth term.

Granholm, 43, hopes to become Michigan’s first female governor. She will face Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus, who coasted to the GOP nomination.

Bonior, who was the No. 2 Democrat in the House before resigning in January to run for governor, conceded. Blanchard did not, in part because of a delay in counting thousands of absentee ballots in Detroit.