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Early life and education

Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician Small
Michigan Legislature Gretchen Whitmer
serving since 2019 as the 49th governor of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Standard
Ingham County Party, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 and in
prosecutor Large
the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015.
Governorship
Width
Policies and political Whitmer was born and raised in Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State
positions University with a bachelor's degree in communication in 1993 and a Juris Doctor degree Standard
Personal life in 1998. Her political career began in 2000 when she was elected to the Michigan Wide
Public image House of Representatives. In 2006, she won a special election to the state senate,
Color (beta)
Publications serving in that chamber until 2015, and became its first female Democratic leader from
See also 2011 to 2015. In 2013, Whitmer gained national attention for a floor speech during a Automatic
debate on abortion in which she shared her experience of being sexually assaulted. For Light
Notes
six months in 2016, she was the prosecutor for Ingham County. Whitmer was elected
References Dark
governor in 2018, defeating Republican nominee Bill Schuette, the state attorney
External links Whitmer in 2023
general.
49th Governor of Michigan
Whitmer has identified herself as a progressive. As governor, she has focused on Incumbent
healthcare and infrastructure legislation. In February 2020, she was selected to give the Assumed office
Democratic response to then President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union January 1, 2019
Address. In October 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation thwarted a far-right militia Lieutenant Garlin Gilchrist
group's kidnapping plot against Whitmer.[1][2] Since January 2021, Whitmer has served Preceded by Rick Snyder
as one of the vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee. She was reelected as Vice Chair of the Democratic National
Committee
governor in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.
Incumbent
Assumed office
Early life and education January 21, 2021
Serving with Tammy Duckworth, Ken Martin,
Gretchen Esther Whitmer was born on August 23, 1971, in Lansing, Michigan, the Keisha Lance Bottoms and Christine Pelosi
eldest of three children of Sharon H. "Sherry" Reisig (née Hanna) and Richard Whitmer, Chair Jaime Harrison
who were both attorneys.[3][4] Her father was head of the Michigan department of Preceded by Grace Meng
commerce under Governor William Milliken, a Republican, and the president and CEO Prosecuting Attorney of Ingham County
of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan from 1988 to 2006.[5] Her mother worked as an In office
assistant attorney general under Michigan Attorney General, Frank J. Kelley.[6] July 21, 2016 – December 31, 2016
Preceded by Stuart Dunnings III
Whitmer's parents divorced when she was ten years old, after which she and her Succeeded by Carol Siemon
siblings moved with their mother to Grand Rapids; her father traveled from his home in Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate
Detroit to visit the family at least once a week.[7] She attended a Christian summer In office
camp in West Virginia for several summers; during one such summer, she was injured January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2015
during a game of tag, losing both of her front teeth. From 1985 to 1989, she attended Deputy Steve Bieda
Forest Hills Central High School near Grand Rapids, participating in the school's softball Preceded by Mike Prusi
and track and field teams.[7][8] During her time at Forest Hills, Whitmer became Succeeded by Jim Ananich
intoxicated before a football game, leading her to briefly pass out and vomit on the Member of the Michigan Senate
school principal, Bert Bleke. Whitmer said that she "got it together" after that incident from the 23rd district

and was eventually awarded most improved student.[9] In office

March 21, 2006 – January 1, 2015
After graduating from high school, Whitmer enrolled at Michigan State University to Preceded by Virgil Bernero
study communication, with the intent of becoming a broadcaster for ESPN.[7] She Succeeded by Curtis Hertel Jr.
graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in communication. While an Member of the Michigan House of
Representatives
undergraduate, Whitmer interned with then State Representative Curtis Hertel, which
In office
convinced her to study law. She attended the Michigan State University College of Law,
January 1, 2003 – March 21, 2006
where she was a member of the Michigan State Law Review. She graduated in 1998
Preceded by Michael C. Murphy
with a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude.[10] She then entered private practice in the
Succeeded by Mark Meadows
Lansing office of the Detroit law firm Dickinson Wright.[7][11]
Constituency 69th district
In 1999, Whitmer was elected chair of the East Lansing Transportation Commission. In office
January 1, 2001 – January 1, 2003
Preceded by Laura Baird
Michigan Legislature
Succeeded by Judy Emmons
See also: Electoral history of Gretchen Whitmer § State House Constituency 70th district
Chair of the East Lansing Transportation
House of Representatives Commission
In office
In 2000, Whitmer ran for the Michigan House of Representatives' 70th district to 1999–2000
succeed representative Laura Baird. After winning the Democratic primary against Mary
Personal details
Lindemann, John Schlinker, and Bob McCann, she ran against Republican nominee Bill
Born Gretchen Esther Whitmer
Hollister. She campaigned on education and healthcare reform and environmental August 23, 1971 (age 53)
protections.[12][13] Whitmer won the election, receiving 17,409 total votes.[14] She was Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
reelected to the 69th House district in 2002 and 2004 and served as vice chair of the Political party Democratic
Michigan House Appropriations Committee.[15][16][17] Spouses Gary Shrewsbury ​(divorced)​
Marc Mallory ​(m. 2011)​
In 2003, Whitmer introduced a bill in the Michigan House that would raise taxes on
Children 2
alcohol and improve fire protection in the state, a proposition that earned the attention
Education Michigan State University (BA,
and support of then-governor Jennifer Granholm.[18] In 2005, Whitmer was voted Most JD)
Effective Democrat of the Michigan House.[19]
Signature

Senate Nickname Big Gretch

Gretchen Whitmer's voice

In March 2006, Whitmer won a special election to the Michigan State Senate, replacing
1:27
Virg Bernero, who had been elected mayor of Lansing in November 2005.[20] She was
Gretchen Whitmer on the implementation of the
elected to a full term in November, and reelected in 2010. In 2011, Whitmer's Inflation Reduction Act in Michigan
Recorded February 14, 2024
Democratic colleagues unanimously chose her to be the Senate Democratic Leader,
making her the first woman to lead a party caucus in the Senate.[6] Due to term limits,
Whitmer was unable to run for reelection in 2014 and left office in 2015.[21]

In 2013, Whitmer received national recognition when she revealed that she had been the victim of rape during her freshman year at
Michigan State University.[22] She told her story during a debate about abortion rights, while making the case that victims of rape
should be allowed to terminate pregnancies that result from the assault.[23]

Ingham County prosecutor

On May 11, 2016, it was announced that the judges of Michigan's 30th Judicial Circuit Court had unanimously selected Whitmer to
serve the remaining six months of outgoing Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III's term.[24] Dunnings resigned, effective
July 2, 2016, after being charged with misconduct in office and with prostitution-related offenses;[25][26] he subsequently pleaded guilty
to several counts and was sentenced to one year in jail and two years' probation.[27]

On June 21, 2016, Whitmer was administered the oath of office as prosecutor by Ingham County Circuit Court Chief Judge Janelle
Lawless. She said her top priorities during her six months of service would be to determine if any other officials in the prosecutor's
office knew about Dunnings's alleged crimes and to change how the office handled domestic violence and sexual assault cases.[28]

In July 2016, Whitmer issued an 11-page report on whether Dunnings's offenses had affected cases the office handled. The report
concluded that employees "were never asked to compromise a case or look the other way" and that she had "full confidence that any
problem that had existed in this office left with Mr. Dunnings".[29][30] Whitmer's term expired on December 31, 2016.

Governorship

Elections

2018
Main article: 2018 Michigan gubernatorial election
 See also: Electoral history of Gretchen Whitmer § 2018

On January 3, 2017, Whitmer announced she would run in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial
race.[31] In the August 2018 primary, Whitmer became the Democratic nominee, winning 52% of
the vote and defeating Abdul El-Sayed, who took 30%, and Shri Thanedar, who took 17%.[32][33]

While campaigning in 2018, Whitmer said that, if elected, she would focus on improving
Michigan's "fundamentals"; she named schools, roads, and water systems as priorities.[34]
Whitmer's main opponent was Republican Bill Schuette, the term-limited attorney general of
Michigan. The two candidates debated twice.[35]
Whitmer arriving at the Capitol
dais for her inauguration
Whitmer defeated Schuette in the November 6 election by nearly a 10-point margin.[36] ceremony as new governor,
January 2019
2022
Main article: 2022 Michigan gubernatorial election

Whitmer was reelected to a second term in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.[37] She won by nearly 11 points, a
larger margin than many analysts and election watchers predicted, with polling showing a tightening race in the weeks before election
day in what was expected to be a tough midterm election for Democrats in battleground states like Michigan.[38] Whitmer won 18
counties and expanded her margins in several vote-rich, bellwether areas of the state, including Oakland, Macomb, and Kent
Counties.[39]

Tenure
Whitmer describes herself as a progressive Democrat, who can work with state legislators from
different political perspectives.[40]

As both a gubernatorial candidate and as governor, one of Whitmer's key pledges was to "fix the damn
roads", a reference to Michigan's struggling infrastructure.[41] Her initial post-election plan to fund road
repairs with a 45-cent-per-US-gallon (12 ¢/L) gas tax increase was deeply unpopular, with one poll
finding it opposed by 75% of Michigan voters, including majorities of Democrats and independent
voters.[42] Democratic legislators in Michigan's Republican-controlled legislature largely declined to
support the plan, which would have nearly tripled Michigan's gas tax and potentially made it the
highest in the nation.[43][44]

Whitmer, February 2023 Whitmer's first budget earmarked several billions of dollars for investment in infrastructure.[45][46][47] In
2019, she struggled with the Republican-controlled legislature to pass a budget and made several
concessions.[45]

The gubernatorial election and national conversation during Whitmer's time in office focused largely on healthcare. During the
election, she was the only Democratic candidate not to support a single-payer healthcare system.[48] As governor, she has focused on
women's healthcare and Medicaid expansion.[45]

In May 2020, the Edenville Dam gave way after awaiting an overdue report on its safety standards. Whitmer directed the Michigan
Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to form an investigation that "state Republicans, flooding victim
advocates and dam safety experts" criticized, concerned that the state's environmental agency would essentially be investigating
itself.[49] Guidelines from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials advocate independent investigators. An inquiry launched by
the United States House of Representatives later gave the EGLE and FERC a two-week deadline for answers.[50]

After the 2022 Michigan elections, Democrats took control of the Senate and House of Representatives, allowing Whitmer greater
control of her legislative agenda. In her January 2023 State of the State address, she called for repeal of the state's retirement tax; an
increase in the state earned income tax credit from 6% to 30%, universal pre-kindergarten; investment in renewable energy such as
wind and solar power; a repeal of Michigan's now defunct 1931 abortion ban; increasing education spending, and stricter gun laws,
such as universal background checks and a ban on 3D printed guns; the addition of sexual identity and gender identity protections to
the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act; and further investment in manufacturing.[51]

COVID-19 pandemic
Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan

In March 2020, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitmer issued a stay-at-home
order.[52][53] She extended Michigan's stay-at-home order several times before lifting it on June 1,
2020, when she moved the state to "phase four" of her reopening plan.[53] In April 2020, right-wing
groups such as the Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund organized an
eight-hour protest against the restrictions.[54][55][56][57] Between 3,000 and 4,000 protesters
gathered at the Michigan State Capitol.[58][59][60] New York Times columnist Charlie Warzel called
the protest "twisted, paranoid and racialized", pushed by conspiracy theorists such as Alex
Whitmer and President Joe
Jones.[61] Polling in March and April 2020 found that the majority of Michiganders approved of Biden tour a Pfizer manufacturing
Whitmer's actions to combat the pandemic.[62][63][64][65][66] At the time of the protest, more than plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan,
1,900 people in Michigan had died after contracting the virus.[54] February 2021.

In April 2020, a Michigan judge rejected a legal challenge to Whitmer's stay-at-home order,
holding that the state had the power to protect the public health against "a highly communicable and deadly virus" and that the order
did not infringe upon constitutional rights.[67]

After the stay-at-home order was lifted on June 1, 2020,[53] certain other COVID-19-related measures, such as capacity limits,
remained in place, until Whitmer lifted all restrictions on June 22, 2021, citing a reduction in COVID-19 cases and the availability of
safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.[68]

In May 2021, Whitmer apologized after being photographed with a large group of unmasked people, with no social distancing, at a
restaurant in East Lansing.[69][70][71] The restaurant was violating state-mandated social distancing guidelines that restricted indoor
dining to six people per table.[72]

Whitmer's COVID-19-related orders in the early days of the pandemic, from March through September 2020, were issued under the
1945 Emergency Powers of Governor Act.[73] Republicans criticized her use of the law, and the legislature passed legislation to
repeal it; she vetoed the repeal in December 2020.[73] The law thus remained on the books, but was unenforceable due to an October
2020 decision by the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled 4–3 that the 1945 act was unconstitutional because it allowed "the
governor to declare emergencies and keep them in place without legislative input" and unanimously ruled that the 1976 Emergency
Management Act "did not give Whitmer the power, after April 30, to issue or renew any executive orders related to the COVID-19
pandemic after 28 days without Legislative approval".[74] On the same day, a group called "Unlock Michigan" turned in 460,000 valid
citizen signatures to the Michigan Secretary of State's Office, seeking to trigger an initiative to repeal the 1945 act.[73][75] In July 2021,
the legislature voted to approve the citizen initiative.[73] Under state law, Whitmer could not veto this step, and the repeal took
effect.[73]

National profile and political future

In February 2020, Whitmer was selected to deliver the Democratic response to the State of the
Union address by then President Donald Trump. Michigan was considered a swing state in the
2020 United States presidential election, and it was speculated that Democrats hoped selecting
Whitmer would bolster their chance of winning the state.[45][76][77]

In early March, days before the 2020 Michigan Democratic presidential primary, Whitmer
endorsed Joe Biden, and joined his campaign as a national co-chair.[78]
Whitmer at the White House for
In 2020, amid her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as after tweets in which Trump a roundtable discussion on the
bipartisan Innovation Act, March
attacked her and dismissed her as "the woman in Michigan", Whitmer changed the wording to the 2022
more specific "that woman in Michigan" in speeches and on T-shirts, gaining a greater national
profile as Trump's original wording was forgotten.[79][80][81] Cecily Strong portrayed Whitmer on
Saturday Night Live episodes in May 2020[82] and February 2021.[83]

Whitmer was vetted by Biden's team as a potential running mate during the 2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate
selection; Biden confirmed she was on his shortlist in March.[84] Michigan's status as a key swing state was seen as boosting her
prospects of being selected.[85] The New York Times reported that she was one of four finalists for the position along with Kamala
Harris, Susan Rice, and Elizabeth Warren;[86] Harris was selected.[87] According to some reports, Whitmer removed herself from
consideration, urging Biden to choose a Black woman instead.[88] Whitmer's consideration for the position further elevated her
national stature.[84]

In her speech to the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Whitmer praised Biden's work in rescuing the Michigan auto industry and
criticized Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.[89] Whitmer was seen as having strong prospects of being offered a position in
Biden's cabinet. On January 9, 2021, she said she was not interested in leaving her role as governor.[88]
Whitmer co-chaired Biden's inaugural committee,[90] and in early January 2021, then-President-elect Biden nominated her as a vice
chair candidate for the Democratic National Committee;[91] the committee elected Whitmer and the rest of the slate of candidates on
January 20 unopposed.[92][93]

After her 2022 reelection, Whitmer was considered a possible presidential candidate in the event that Biden did not run for a second
term in 2024.[94][95] Writing for The Bulwark, A. B. Stoddard expressed support for a Whitmer presidential bid in 2024 with Senator
Raphael Warnock as her running mate.[96] In response to these speculations, Whitmer affirmed repeatedly that she would not run for
president, intending to serve a full second term as governor.[97][98] On April 25, 2023, Whitmer was named co-chair of Biden's
reelection campaign.[90] On June 12, she launched the Fight Like Hell PAC in an effort to boost Democrats running for federal office in
2024.[99] In December, the PAC endorsed its first slate of candidates, causing further speculation about a presidential bid.[100] In a
speech in Washington D.C. in March 2024, Whitmer hinted at running for president in 2028, saying, "See you in 2029."[101] After
Biden withdrew his candidacy in July 2024, she announced that she would not seek the Democratic nomination, and endorsed Vice
President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign.[102][103] She also said she would not accept an offer to be Harris's running
mate.[104]

Kidnapping plot
Main article: Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot

On October 8, 2020, a federal indictment against six men associated with the Wolverine Watchmen, a Michigan-based militia group,
was unsealed. The indictment charges the men with plotting to kidnap Whitmer and violently overthrow Michigan's government.[105]
The FBI became aware of the scheme in early 2020 after communications among the far-right group were discovered, and via an
undercover agent who met with more than a dozen individuals at a meeting in Dublin, Ohio.[1] Another seven men were charged with
state crimes in relation to the plot.[106] Facebook is cooperating with the investigation, since the federal criminal complaint detailed
how the group used a private Facebook group to discuss the alleged plot.[107]

In the wake of the unsealed indictment, Whitmer, in a livestream, thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation.
She called the plotters "sick and depraved men" and blamed Trump for refusing to explicitly condemn far-right groups and for his
handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[108][109] In April 2022, two men (Harris and Caserta) were acquitted on all
charges on grounds of entrapment by federal authorities.[110] In August 2022, two others (Fox and Barry Croft Jr.) were convicted of
conspiracy to kidnap. In October 2022, three others (Morrison, Musico, and Bellar) were convicted of providing material support for a
terrorist act. Additionally, Garbin and Franks pleaded guilty.[111]

Policies and political positions

Whitmer describes herself as a progressive Democrat[40] who can work with legislators with different political perspectives.[40]

Abortion
See also: Abortion in Michigan and Abortion in the United States

During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-abortion groups criticized Whitmer for allowing abortion
procedures to continue in Michigan.[112]

In September 2021, Whitmer began working with the state legislature to repeal a 90-year-old law
that banned abortion in Michigan, so as to preserve abortion rights in the state in case Roe v.
Wade was overturned.[113][114] After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, it was
unclear whether Michigan's 1931 statute criminalizing abortion procedures and drugs was
operative.[115] In April 2023, Whitmer signed a bill repealing the 1931 ban, ensuring abortion Whitmer, Vice President
Kamala Harris, and
access in Michigan.[115] Representative Hillary Scholten at
a roundtable discussion in Grand
Whitmer strongly supported 2022 Michigan Proposal 3, a ballot proposal that amended the Rapids, Michigan, on the topic of
Michigan Constitution to include the right to reproductive freedom, which the measure defined as reproductive rights for women,
"the right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including but February 2024

not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care,
miscarriage management and infertility care."[113][115] The proposal was approved by a wide margin in the 2022 election. Abortion is
legal at all stages of pregnancy in Michigan.[115]

Corporate incentives
Whitmer is in favor of using corporate incentives to attract business and manufacturing to Michigan. On December 20, 2021, she
signed House Bill 4603, a bipartisan measure that created a $1 billion economic development fund to attract manufacturers to
Michigan.[116][117]

Whitmer strongly supports the proposed industrial "megasite" in Marshall, Michigan, where a major electric vehicle battery
manufacturing facility is planned, and approved of $1.8 billion in state incentives for the purchase and preparation of the site.[118][119]

Cannabis legalization
See also: Cannabis in Michigan and Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States

In 2018, as a candidate for governor, Whitmer spoke at Hash Bash to endorse Proposal 1 to legalize recreational cannabis in
Michigan.[120] She said she had supported legalizing cannabis "before it was politically fashionable" and pledged to legalize and
regulate it to increase revenue for road repairs and prevent children from accessing it.[121][122] In 2019, as governor, she reappeared
at Hash Bash via video message to celebrate the legalization of recreational cannabis in Michigan, saying, "We worked hard, we got it
done."[123][124]

Education
Whitmer has said she would like to phase in full-day universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds in Michigan. She eliminated Michigan's
third-grade "read-or-flunk" policy, which she says penalizes students the education system has failed; she wants to work to improve
their reading skills. She proposes that all high school students be offered two years of debt-free higher education, either college or
post-secondary training for skilled trades.[125]

Whitmer established the Michigan Reconnect program passed with bipartisan support in 2019 after first proposing the program in her
State of the State speech as part of her "60 by 30" goal to address workforce talent shortages: having 60% of working-age adults in
Michigan with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.[126] The program allows any Michigander 25 or older without a college
degree to enroll tuition-free in an associate degree or professional skills certificate program.[127] In her 2023 State of the State
Address, Whitmer called for expanding the program by lowering the minimum age to 21. As of 2023, over 113,000 people had been
accepted into the program.[128]

In 2020, Whitmer launched the Futures for Frontliners program, providing tuition-free access to an associate degree or professional
certification program for Michiganders who served as essential workers during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.[129] By
2021, more than 120,000 people had applied for the first-of-its-kind program.[130]

Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation in 2022 establishing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and providing $560 million to fund it.
The "sweeping college scholarship program" is the state's largest effort to date to expand affordable access to college
education,[131][132] estimated to provide scholarships for 94% of students at community college, 76% of students at public universities,
and 79% of students at private universities and colleges.[133]

Environment
Whitmer has ordered the closure of major oil pipelines in Michigan and supports renewable energy initiatives. She has been endorsed
by the Sierra Club's Michigan Chapter.[134]

In February 2019, Whitmer issued an executive order that reorganized some state government departments; the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality became the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.[135]

Guns
See also: Gun laws in Michigan

In January 2021, Whitmer called for a ban on all weapons inside the Michigan State Capitol in
response to armed protestors in April 2020.[137] In her seven "concrete steps" to deter school
shooting, she has called for bans on bump stocks and increasing resources for school resource
officers.[138][139] In 2019, Whitmer joined 11 other governors in calling for "common sense gun
legislation".[140] In 2012, she wrote an open letter to National Rifle Association President Wayne
LaPierre on HuffPost about actions to prevent further school violence like the Sandy Hook
Elementary School shooting.[141]
Whitmer discusses Operation
Safe Communities a program to
remove illegal guns from
After Democrats won a majority in the state legislature in 2023, they passed a package of gun
 neighborhoods, May 2023.[136] violence prevention legislation. Whitmer strongly supported the six bills, which were passed in the

aftermath of the 2021 Oxford High School shooting and 2023 Michigan State University shooting,
and she signed the package into law in April 2023.[142] The Michigan package included a universal background checks law, a safe
storage law, a law exempting of firearm safety devices from state sales tax and use tax, and a law containing new licensure
requirements for gun owners.[142] In May 2023, Whitmer also signed a red flag law; that law took effect in February 2024.[143][144]

Health care
Whitmer has said she would fight Republican efforts to take away protections for patients with preexisting conditions. In the State
Senate, she successfully worked to expand Medicaid coverage in the state under the Affordable Care Act. She spoke against single-
payer healthcare as unrealistic on a state level in 2018 but also said she supports and thinks there is a good opportunity to enact
federal-level Medicare for All.[145] She also said she would work to lower the cost of prescription drugs and would get rid of Schuette's
drug immunity law, which she believes protects drug companies from legal trouble if their drugs harm or kill people.[146]

During her first term as governor, Whitmer expanded health care coverage to more than one million Michiganders under the state's
Medicaid expansion program, Healthy Michigan. She played a key role in passing Michigan's Medicaid expansion in 2013 as Senate
minority leader, delivering Democratic votes needed to pass it.[147] Also during her first term, Whitmer established the Healthy Moms
Healthy Babies program to help reduce infant mortality rates in low-income populations and address racial disparities in care provided
for mothers and infants,[148] and secured an expansion of postpartum Medicaid coverage providing up to 35,000 mothers with health
services for a year postpartum to help reduce pregnancy-related deaths.[149]

Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill into law in 2020 to end surprise medical billing in Michigan by requiring providers to negotiate bills for
out-of-network emergency services with a patient's insurance company instead of the patient.[150] In 2022, she signed a bipartisan
package of bills into law to reduce prescription drug prices by requiring pharmacists to disclose prices of cheaper generic drugs to
patients and by requiring pharmacy benefit managers to be licensed and file drug-price transparency reports.[151][152]

Immigration
In 2021, Whitmer declared that Michigan was ready to accept Afghan refugee families fleeing the country amid the Taliban takeover
following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. She praised Michigan's "rich history of multiculturalism" and said the state was
prepared "to help ensure those who arrive in Michigan can get their feet on the ground".[153]

In 2019, Whitmer canceled the sale of a former state prison over the purchasing company's plans to operate the facility as an
immigrant detention center. A spokesperson said she canceled the sale because the purchasing company could not guarantee that
the facility would not be used to house members of families separated under the Trump administration family separation policy.[154]

Whitmer disapproved of Trump's plan to exclude illegal immigrants from the 2020 United States census.[155] In 2019, she told
immigration rights groups that she supported plans to give undocumented immigrants driver's licenses or a form of government
ID.[156]

Infrastructure
After running on the slogan "fix the damn roads" during her campaign, Whitmer secured historic
funding for Michigan roads and bridges as governor. During her first term, over 16,000 lane miles
of roads and 1,200 bridges were repaired across the state.[157] In 2020, Whitmer announced the
Rebuilding Michigan program, providing $3.5 billion in state funding for over 120 road projects for
the next five years, with a focus on major roads with the greatest economic impact and traffic
volume.[158] In 2022, Whitmer signed a bipartisan $5 billion infrastructure deal that included over
$400 million for state and local roads and bridges,[159] and an executive order to streamline road Whitmer speaking on federal
repairs directing agencies to speed up permitting for infrastructure projects.[160] Also in 2022, she infrastructure investment for
announced the creation of the Michigan Infrastructure Office to coordinate between agencies and Michigan in Bay City, November
2022
spend infrastructure funding more effectively.[161]

The Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council's 2022 report found that Michigan's roads were "in their best shape in
years", with the proportion of roads rated "good" and "fair" increasing while those in "poor" condition decreased.[162] The council's
2023 report found that "slightly fewer roads were in good condition and slightly more were deemed poor" but said it was a good sign
that roads had not deteriorated substantially from the gains in the previous year.[163]

Whitmer has invested over $2 billion in water infrastructure improvements since taking office. She secured $1.7 billion in water
infrastructure investments as part of a nearly $5 billion bipartisan infrastructure deal signed into law in 2022.[159] The package
included major funding for local governments to upgrade their drinking water systems, hundreds of millions to replace an estimated
20,000 lead service lines across the state, and millions more to address other drinking water contaminants.[164] Whitmer created the
office of the Clean Water Public Advocate in 2019[165] and has enforced Michigan's recently updated lead and copper drinking water
rule, which has the nation's strictest standards for drinking water contamination.[166]

LGBT rights
Whitmer has been a longtime advocate for expanding Michigan's civil rights law to include LGBT individuals.[167] The Human Rights
Campaign endorsed her during her 2018 and 2022 campaigns for governor.[168][169]

In March 2023, Whitmer signed legislation to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections against discrimination in
employment and housing, based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Several Republican lawmakers joined with Democrats in
the Michigan House and Senate to pass the bill.[170]

Tax and fiscal policy

As governor, Whitmer has signed several major tax cuts into law. In 2021, she signed bipartisan legislation to exempt all feminine
hygiene products from state sales tax, saving consumers an estimated $7 million in taxes.[171] Whitmer signed two bipartisan tax cuts
for small businesses into law in 2021; legislation she signed in October 2021 expanded property tax exemptions, providing $75 million
in savings for small businesses[172][173] and bipartisan legislation she signed in December 2021 creating a SALT tax cap workaround
for small businesses that providing a total of $200 million in tax savings.[174] In 2023, she signed a bipartisan $1 billion package of tax
cuts into law. The legislation repealed the retirement tax, quintupled the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit, and allocated up to
$500 million per year of corporate taxes towards the state's fund for business incentives.[175] In 2022, Michigan had the fifth-lowest
state and local tax burden in the nation and the lowest in the Midwest, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.[176]

Whitmer grew Michigan's rainy-day fund to an all-time high of $1.6 billion in 2022 thanks to a $500 million deposit made in 2021 and
an additional $180 million deposit in 2022 as part of bipartisan spending agreements.[177] Under Whitmer, Michigan paid down nearly
$14 billion in state debt[178] and went from a projected $3 billion deficit to a $9 billion surplus.[179] Michigan became a "standout for
investors" under Whitmer with bond returns outperforming neighboring states.[180] In 2021, S&P and Fitch both announced rating
outlook upgrades for Michigan, citing the state's responsible fiscal management and economic success emerging from the
pandemic.[181] In 2022, Fitch upgraded Michigan's credit rating from AA to AA+, citing the state's strong fiscal position and economic
growth.[182]

Voting rights and election security

In 2020, Whitmer signed an executive order expanding access to mail-in voting.[183] In November
2023, she signed a series of election-related bills.[184] The package of legislation expands
automatic citizen voter registration and makes it a criminal offense to intimidate or threaten a poll
worker.[184] It makes clear that the state canvassing board and county canvassing boards have a
"ministerial, clerical, and nondiscretionary duty" to certify election results based on local clerks'
tabulation.[184] This change was in response to Donald Trump's effort to subvert the election result
in 2020 (including by pressuring Republicans on Michigan's canvassing boards to refuse to certify Whitmer signs voter rights
the results of the presidential election in Michigan, which Biden won).[184] The 2024 packages of protection bill, November 2023.
bills Whitmer signed also include a bill to regulate political disinformation campaigns ("materially
deceptive media") by requiring artificial intelligence-generated political ads to contain
disclaimers.[184][185]

Workers' rights
Whitmer supports labor unions. In March 2023, she signed the repeal of the state's 2012 "right-to-work law"; Michigan was the first
state in 58 years to repeal such a law. Whitmer also signed legislation reinstating a prevailing wage law, which mandates that
contractors hired for projects with the state pay union-level wages.[186]

Personal life
Whitmer and her first husband Gary Shrewsbury have two daughters, born 19 months apart.[22] Shortly after she gave birth to her first
child in 2002, Whitmer's mother died of glioblastoma.[79] Whitmer and Shrewsbury divorced in 2008.[79] In 2011, she married dentist
Marc P. Mallory, a Republican voter who identifies as fiscally conservative but socially liberal.[22] Mallory has three sons from his
previous marriage.[187][188] The couple live in the Michigan Governor's Mansion in Lansing, Michigan, with their five children.[3][189]
They also own a vacation cottage in Antrim County, near Elk Rapids.[190] Whitmer's daughters both attended East Lansing High
School and the University of Michigan. Her eldest daughter is openly gay.[22][79]

Whitmer's sister, Liz Whitmer Gereghty, is a Katonah–Lewisboro School Board trustee in Westchester County, New York.[191]
Gereghty briefly ran for the 2024 Democratic nomination for Congress in New York's 17th congressional district, a suburban swing
district held by Republican Mike Lawler, but dropped out of the primary in November 2023, endorsing former congressman Mondaire
Jones.[192]

Whitmer was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2023.[193][194] She has three tattoos.[9]

Public image
Whitmer is known by the nickname "Big Gretch", coined by rapper Sada Baby.[195] In May 2020, Detroit-based comedy rapper Gmac
Cash released "Big Gretch", a song praising Whitmer and the COVID-19 lockdown.[a] The song went viral on YouTube. The rapper
said Whitmer deserved Cartier buffalo horn sunglasses, or "buffs", a symbol of respect in Detroit.[197][198] Whitmer responded in a
tweet, "Love the nickname. Love the song."[199] She told WNEM-TV in 2023, "Big Gretch is kind of a persona that came out of the
pandemic. It was an acknowledgment that has gone through some tough stuff, and this was a nickname that came about because
people wanted to give me a little encouragement. And so it was never a nickname I thought about or would have picked, but it's one
that I really appreciate. And I think it's there. It's funny, too."[200] She addressed the nickname at the 2024 Democratic National
Convention, saying, "In Lansing. they call me governor, but in Detroit, I’m 'Big Gretch!' "[196]

Trump referred to Whitmer as "that woman from Michigan" while criticizing her pandemic leadership. Whitmer wore a T-shirt with this
phrase.[200] At the 2024 DNC, she said, "Being a woman from Michigan is a badge of honor."[201] Whitmer is popular on social media,
with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and 4 million TikTok likes as of 2023.[200] She is known for wearing deep magenta
lipstick, which a Detroit makeup store, The Lip Bar, released as a product called "Big Gretch".[196]

Publications

Articles
"I'm a Pro-Choice Governor, and I'm Not Going to Sit on My Hands Waiting for Congress", The New York Times, May 9, 2022[202]

Books
True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between, Simon & Schuster, July 9, 2024 (ISBN 978-1-
6680-7231-8).[203]

See also
Electoral history of Gretchen Whitmer
List of female governors in the United States

Notes
a. ^ Some sources credit Cash with the nickname.[196]

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External links
Governor Gretchen Whitmer official government website Wikimedia Commons has
Gretchen Whitmer for Governor campaign website media related to Gretchen
Whitmer.
Appearances on C-SPAN
Wikiquote has quotations
Profile at Vote Smart related to Gretchen
Whitmer.

Michigan House of Representatives

Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
Preceded by Succeeded by
from the 70th district
Laura Baird Judy Emmons
2001–2003
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
Preceded by Succeeded by
from the 69th district
Michael C. Murphy Mark Meadows
2003–2006

Michigan Senate
Member of the Michigan Senate
Preceded by Succeeded by
from the 23rd district
Virgil Bernero Curtis Hertel Jr.
2006–2015
Preceded by Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate Succeeded by
Mike Prusi 2011–2015 Jim Ananich

Party political offices

Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Michigan
Most recent
Mark Schauer 2018, 2022
Preceded by Response to the State of the Union address Succeeded by
Stacey Abrams 2020 Tim Scott

Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Michigan
Incumbent
Rick Snyder 2019–present

U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)

Succeeded by
Mayor of city
Preceded by
Order of precedence of the United States in which event is held
Kamala Harris
Within Michigan Succeeded by
as Vice President
Otherwise Mike Johnson
as Speaker of the House
Preceded by Succeeded by
Order of precedence of the United States
Sarah Huckabee Sanders Ron DeSantis
Outside Michigan
as Governor of Arkansas as Governor of Florida

v·t·e Governors of Michigan [show]

v·t·e Governors and executives of U.S. states and territories [show]

v·t·e Statewide political officials of Michigan [show]

v·t·e COVID-19 pandemic in the United States [show]

 v·t·e Michigan Women's Hall of Fame [show]

Authority control databases [show]

Categories: Gretchen Whitmer 1971 births 20th-century Michigan politicians 20th-century American women politicians
21st-century members of the Michigan Legislature 21st-century American women politicians American abortion-rights activists
Democratic National Committee people Democratic Party governors of Michigan
Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Democratic Party Michigan state senators
Detroit College of Law alumni Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign
Living people People associated with the 2020 United States presidential election
People associated with the 2024 United States presidential election Politicians from Lansing, Michigan
Prosecuting attorneys in Michigan Women state constitutional officers of Michigan
Women state governors of the United States Women state legislators in Michigan

This page was last edited on 18 December 2024, at 21:30 (UTC).

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