Caption: Lucas BlanchardThe national spotlight will be on Michigan. WILLIAM LUCAS is the man of the hour, and that is as it should be. His victory in Tuesday's Republican primary was significant - not just as a personal triumph but to the state of Michigan and the Republican Party.Republican voters rejected - as they should have - the attempt by one of Mr. Lucas' opponents to spend his way into the governor's mansion. A big budget for television commercials won't overcome serious flaws as voters made clear in rejecting Dick Chrysler's candidacy.That a black person won the Republican nomination for governor of Michigan is an historic event. If not the fulfillment of the American dream, it is reason for renewed hope that, despite lingering racism, the day is getting closer when drive and intelligence will be more important predictors of success than skin color.For the Republican Party, which in the last five decades more often than not has been shunned by blacks, the Lucas victory offers the possibility of diversity. Our two-party system cries out for great participation by blacks in the GOP. Yet, in recent years, there has been little about the party to attract black voters.The national spotlight will be on Michigan between now and November as Mr. Lucas seeks to build on the fairly narrow base that gave him the nomination. A major challenge ahead is to establish himself as a mainstream Republican candidate - not a captive of the Right, as some critics have charged. If Wednesday's Republican unity breakfast is any indication, the party - including Mr. Chrysler - already is closing ranks behind its nominee. Mr. Lucas would do well to take particular note of Colleen Engler, who - despite a low visibility campaign - evidently came across to voters as a serious candidate.It will be Mr. Lucas' unenviable task to take on James Blanchard, who easily won renomination and has not only the incumbent's natural advantage but a solid record of accomplishment. As Wayne County executive, Mr. Lucas has a good, though not unblemished, record that surely will receive intense scrutiny before the general election - especially as it relates to his claims to have restored the county's solvency.Both gubernatorial primary winners deserve congratulations. If there is a lesson in recent events for Messrs. Lucas and Blanchard, it is that being accorded front-runner status int he polls means little; it is what happens at the polls on Election Day that counts.
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