Brewer announced his withdrawal from the race, opening the door for Kalkaska Democrat Lon Johnson to become the party’s next chairman, which was cemented in a unanimous vote by 3,600 Democratic delegates at the Cobo Center event.

Johnson said he admired what Brewer has done for the party and told the crowd it was time to stand together and move forward in an effort to win.

The 41-year-old Johnson is known as a strong fundraiser; he lost a close race for the state House in November in a heavily-Republican northern Michigan district.