By Zachary Gorchow
President of Michigan Operations
Posted: November 21, 2013 1:33 PM

Going into the 2014 election cycle, most of the focus with the August primary is on the Republicans, with several major contests developing between the tea party and establishment wings of the GOP.

But one of the showcase races on August 5, 2014, will come on the Democratic side where Rep. Rashida Tlaib takes on Sen. Virgil Smith for the Democratic nomination in the 4th Senate District that covers various parts of Detroit.

This is causing some difficulty for Democrats. Ms. Tlaib has almost folk-hero status for her pugnacious charisma and penchant for lighting into Republicans. Mr. Smith is nowhere near as front-and-center as Ms. Tlaib in the heated legislative debates (few are), but he is well-liked by other Democrats. Unlike the Republican primaries, where some grassroots activists are upset with incumbents over their votes for certain bills, Mr. Smith has a voting record aligned with Democratic interests.

So the race will likely turn on leadership style and who campaigns harder.

An interesting dynamic to watch is endorsements. Will key unions sit the race out in deference to two figures they support or side with Mr. Smith out of loyalty to the incumbent? Or will they see Ms. Tlaib as too important of a figure to lose at the Capitol and back her?

Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) has made it clear for a while that she is supporting her colleague, Mr. Smith. And that’s no surprise because legislative caucuses almost always rally behind their own members when they face a primary challenge.

But Ms. Whitmer also has made a major point of the need to increase the number of women in the Senate. Just four of the 38 senators are women, and Ms. Whitmer will likely be replaced by a man after the 2014 elections when she cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

Politics being politics, though, loyalty comes first. Ms. Whitmer reiterated her support today for Mr. Smith in a Facebook posting showing the two of them campaigning for Mr. Smith.

“Going into 2014, my goal is to grow our caucus and bring more Democratic voices to the table to join our existing members that will be starting their second terms,” Ms. Whitmer said. “Every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus has been a team player and worked tirelessly to earn a second term. I'm proud to stand behind Sen. Smith, along with the rest of my colleagues in their re-election efforts and I look forward to helping them win a second term in the Senate, whether they face a challenge during the primary election or general election next year.”