When most people discuss the upcoming elections, more than likely they are referring to statewide and legislative races.  T.V. and radio ads serve as a constant reminder of how important these races are to our state’s future.  Point by point, the ads share a message of hope, sound judgement, and vision.  After months of ads, door knocking, and mailers, voters go to the polls to elect the next state officials, but what most voters don’t know is that there are other big elections shortly after the general election.

The November general elections are a very important exercise but on that day voters elect a Governor and other officials, but not its legislative leaders.   While voters were being inundated with ads and mailers, a quiet race for influence takes place in the halls of the Capitol.  The House of Representatives is preparing to elect a Speaker of the House and the Senate is preparing to elect a Majority Leader.  These two races rarely make it to the public’s radar and generally occur a day or two after the general election.

As we know, for a bill to become law it must pass each chamber before reaching the governor’s desk. To pass a chamber, a bill must ultimately be supported by the chamber’s leader.  The Speaker and the Majority Leader are elected by the members of each chamber and hold a considerable amount of influence relative to the legislative process.  Some would say their influence rivals the governor, but that influence doesn’t come easy.

Often, legislators say the toughest campaigns are leadership campaigns.  When candidates line up against each other, they typically don’t have the camaraderie that legislative caucus members share with each other.  Campaigns in the primary and general elections are not seen as personal.  However, when campaigning for leadership, a legislator is running against a colleague and in some cases a friend.  The campaign is a different kind of stress because friends are involved, and it is personal.  Colleagues and friends are pitted against each other during the process and the losing legislator reaps no benefit.  However, to the winner goes the spoils.  That means highly coveted caucus and committee appointments.  More importantly, the winner of the leadership race, and their supporters, carry the influence.  Influence which shapes the future, given to the leaders in the halls of the Capitol, not at the ballot box by the voters.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.