The records of the Democratic Party of Michigan have come to the library in several accessions beginning in 1967 and periodically thereafter. The record group is comprised of files mainly from the Lansing office of the Democratic Party of Michigan. The files are of the officers of the party: state chair, vice chair, deputy chair, and secretary, among others. As of 2025, close to one-half of the files in the collection is concentrted in the the Mark Brewer subseries within the State Chair series, as he was the longest serving chair. The records relate to the day-to-day operation of the party, the management of political campaigns (i.e., selecting candidates, defining issues, raising funds, getting out the vote, etc.). In addition, some records concern the state organization's relationship with the National Democratic Party and its participation in the national convention to select a presidential nominee. Because of inconsistencies in how files were maintained and used, the files of one party officer might also include materials of their predecessor. Thus the researcher should examine the entire finding aid for material on any given topic or time period.
The Democratic Party of Michigan (also known as the Michigan Democratic Party) is an organization affiliated with the Democratic National Committee, and its State Chair is a member of the Association of State Democratic chairs. The group is dedicated to supporting Democratic candidates for public office in the state of Michigan, promoting the party in Michigan, and fielding the concerns of Michigan citizens as part of their effort to affect legislative change.
Although the Democratic Party State Central Committee has been in Michigan since the mid-19th century, it wasn't until the late 1940s that it was rejuvenated and strengthened. Until that time there were only small "paper groups" of isolated Democratic enthusiasts, with the exceptions of Wayne County and the western Upper Peninsula where more substantial committees had organized. At the time, the Democratic Party represented a more liberal perspective, including protest groups, new immigrants, and fledgling unions. With the 1948 election of Democrat G. Mennen Williams, the party began to gain a foothold in Michigan politics, and the Democratic Party State Central Committee (DPSCC) began to develop.
In 1949, the group held its Spring Convention and elected Chairman Hicks Griffiths and Vice Chairman Margaret Cotsikas. Its first major project was the revitalization of the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. Attended by 1200 people at the Detroit Masonic Temple, the guest speaker was Senator Hubert Humphrey.
With the success of the "Jeff-Jack" Dinner and a morale boost for the party, the DPSCC adopted the slogan "A candidate for every office, a challenger in every polling place and a worker in every precinct." They followed up the slogan with manuals on challenging and precinct work and through the development of county-level, grassroots organizations. In the early 1950s, the DPSCC set a budget and opened itself to public scrutiny. The group established field representatives, county committees, and sub-committees, and the operation became year-round rather than solely at the time of elections. The group enjoyed increased membership, improved fund-raising, diversified participation, and a reputation for "honest politics." They established financial drives, founded the Young Democrats, worked to further integrate women into the party, and established the monthly publication Michigan Democrat.
In 1965, under the second term of State Chairman Zolton Ferency, the group purchased a building in Lansing for their permanent headquarters. It was dedicated as the John F. Kennedy House in October 1965, and the dedication address was given by Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy of Massachusetts.
In 1995, Mark Brewer was elected as Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. Brewer was the longest-serving chair, serving from 1995 to 2013. Prior to becoming the party chair, in 1983-1995, he served as Assistant General Counsel to the Michigan Democratic Party. At the time of his election in 1995, the party was struggling financially and was in significant debt. Under his leadership, the party was able to pay off the debt and maintain a balanced budget throughout his tenure. In addition to his leadership in the Democratic Party of Michigan, Brewer was elected President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs and the Democratic National Committee Vice Chair three times from 2003-2009. He was a delegate at several Democratic National Conventions and served as Chair of Michigan delegations. His records reflect the various responsibilities and projects he oversaw as Chair, such as local and national election cycles, party platform drafting, and delegate selection plans.
Michigan Democratic Party chairs
| Date |
Event |
| 1947 - 1949 | John Franco |
| 1949 - 1950 | Hicks Griffiths |
| 1950 - 1961 | Neil Staebler |
| 1961 - 1963 | John Collins |
| 1963 - 1968 | Zolton Ferency |
| 1968 - 1969 | Sander Levin |
| 1969 - 1973 | James McNeely |
| 1973 - 1979 | Morley Winograd |
| 1979 - 1983 | Olivia Maynard |
| 1983 - 1989 | Richard Wiener |
| 1989 - 1991 | F. Thomas Lewand |
| 1991 - 1995 | Gary Corbin |
| 1995 - 2013 | Mark Brewer |
| 2003 - 2004 | Melvin Hollowell |
| 2013 - 2015 | Lon Johnson |
| 2015 - 2019 | Brandon Dillon |
| 2019 - 2025 | Lavora Barnes |
| 2025 - | Curtis Hertel Jr. |
