Unless something very unusual happens, the winner of Tuesday night’s 14th district Democratic primary will easily win the November election.
And it appears that winner will be current Oakland County Congressman Gary Peters.
Peters topped a field of four Democrats, including another incumbent Congressman, to win the primary in the newly-redrawn 14th district.
That district zig-zags 75 miles across southeast Michigan, taking in much of Detroit and parts of Oakland County.
Since Peters isn’t a Detroiter, he worked hard to build a support base in the city, emphasizing his ties to President Obama.
And it appears he did that, racking up endorsements from city leaders, clergy, and organized labor. He also won solidly in the district’s suburban communities.
His campaign theme was “One Greater Detroit,” and bringing together his new district’s diverse range of communities.
Peters says that’s a balancing act that’s needed in a sharply divided Congress, too. He says the Congress and the country face some huge immediate challenges, like coming up with a deficit-reduction plan to avoid big automatic cuts to federal spending.
“I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to come together, because we have to,” Peters said. “It’s getting to the point where you’ve got to make those tough decisions.”
If Peters wins in November, as he's widely expected to, he'll be the first ever non-resident to represent Detroit in Congress.
