Lavora Barnes seeks reelection as leader of Michigan Democratic Party

Lavora Barnes is seeking another term as leader of the Michigan Democratic Party, vowing to continue the historic gains the party achieved in the midterm elections.

"I am pleased to announce that I will seek another term as chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. I am grateful for the support I have received from, and the hard work of, Democrats across the state," Barnes said in a statement posted Wednesday to Facebook.

First chosen to lead the party in 2019, Barnes shepherded Democrats through historic success in recent years. In addition to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel winning in landslides this fall, Democrats took control of both the state House and Senate. It’s the first time in nearly 40 years Democrats have held power in both legislative chambers and the governor’s mansion.

Whitmer pointed to these achievements as one of the reasons why she supports Barnes' bid to return as chair.

"Lavora’s strong leadership worked hand in hand with our campaign to ensure that we stayed focused on the fundamental issues that mattered most to working families. We built the blueprint for fellow Democrats across the nation on how to build a movement and win in competitive states," Whitmer said in a statement.

"I’m excited about the prospects of working with Lavora for two more years and prove to Michiganders that Democrats get things done for them.”

More:Michigan Democrats take control of state House, Senate in historic power shift

More:Michigan Democrats elect Barnes leader of state party

Democrats also picked up a congressional seat, with U.S. Rep.-elect Hillary Scholten easily beating GOP challenger John Gibbs in a congressional race to represent a west Michigan district including Grand Rapids. Incumbent Reps. Elissa Slotkin and Dan Kildee fended off Republican challengers as well, in races conservatives touted as potential political flips.

While Richard Bernstein was the only Democrat running for state Supreme Court to win, fellow candidate and former state lawmaker Kyra Harris Bolden was recently appointed to the bench by Whitmer. That gives Democrats a 4-3 majority on the state’s highest court.

"We have much more work to do in this very important 2024 cycle and I look forward to another two years leading the best state party and the best Democrats in the nation," Barnes said.

Before she took on the role as chair, Barnes served as the party's chief operating officer. She also previously worked on former President Barack Obama's reelection campaign and as a Michigan House staff member, according to the Associated Press.

More:Metro Detroit Rep. Cynthia Johnson disqualified from ballot over late campaign fees

More:Whitmer: Removing Rep. Cynthia Johnson from committees goes 'too far'

Despite the success, at least one person plans to challenge Barnes.

Former state Rep. Cynthia Johnson, D-Detroit, announced earlier this week she’s also running to lead the Michigan Democratic Party.

“Michiganders and Democrats across our state urgently want an end to the self-described ‘behind the scenes’ leadership of current Michigan Democratic Party Chair that has resulted in an inaccessible party from the top-on-down and a culture of silence that needs to be immediately changed,” reads Johnson’s news release announcing her candidacy.

Johnson served two terms in the Michigan House. She was disqualified from seeking reelection in 2022 because she failed to pay campaign-related fees on time.

She garnered national attention after the 2020 presidential election when she tried to question Rudy Giuliani, then serving as a legal counselor to former President Donald Trump, during a legislative hearing. Her comments prompted her to receive a litany of racist threats. Comments she made in a Facebook video in response to some of these threats prompted House Republican leaders to temporarily remove her from committees at the end of 2020. She returned to committee work the following term.

Donna Lasinski, the leading Michigan House Democrat during the past legislative session, said she supported Barnes.

"I am very proud of the work that Lavora Barnes has done as leader of our party. Her win record over the last couple of cycles is just tremendous. I believe Lavora deserves to continue to be the chair of our party," Lasinski said during a recent interview.

The party chair serves for two years. The deadline for Democrats to enter the race for party leadership is Jan. 11, 30 days before the Michigan Democratic Party’s convention. The event is scheduled for Feb. 11 at Huntington Place in Detroit.

Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lavora Barnes seeks reelection as leader of Michigan Democratic Party