Published February 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM EST

This weekend, Michigan Democrats and Republicans are set to gather separately to choose their new state party chairs.

Democrats have had some six years of stability in Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes but, after the 2024 election, she announced she’s stepping down. Republican party leadership had been more chaotic in recent years until former Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra took over in early 2024. He, however, is stepping down after being nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Canada.

With open races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, plus an unexpected open U.S. Senate race, and the entire state House and state Senate up for election in 2026, party chairs will play an important role in candidate recruitment and fundraising.

Chad Livengood, politics editor at The Detroit News, and Colin Jackson, Capitol reporter at the Michigan Public Radio Network, joined Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta on this week’s It’s Just Politics to dig into this weekend’s races for state party chair.

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