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GRETCHEN WHITMER

Gretchen Whitmer was elected governor of Michigan in 2018. She gained national attention leading the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmer is a Democrat. She was born in Lansing and went to high school near Grand Rapids. She attended Michigan State University for undergraduate and law school. 

Michigan State Sen. Sarah Anthony, left, and Sen. Mallory McMorrow talk on the Senate floor, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House

Read full article: Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House

Democrats in Michigan are pressing to pass reproductive health care legislation before the party loses its majority with the new legislative session next year.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is interviewed, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, will run for Michigan governor in 2026 as independent

Read full article: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, will run for Michigan governor in 2026 as independent

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, says he'll run for Michigan governor in 2026 as an independent because “there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both” the Democratic and Republican parties.

A well wisher kneels to pray at a memorial on the sign of Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich., Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. A 15-year-old sophomore opened fire at the school, killing several students and wounding multiple other people, including a teacher. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer honors victims on 3-year remembrance of Oxford shooting

Read full article: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer honors victims on 3-year remembrance of Oxford shooting

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist released statements Saturday to honor the victims that were killed in the Oxford High School shooting three years ago.

FILE - Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte, who faces Democrat Joyce Craig in the November 2024 election, smiles during a visit to a local concrete coating business, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

A record 13 women will be governors next year after New Hampshire elected Kelly Ayotte

Read full article: A record 13 women will be governors next year after New Hampshire elected Kelly Ayotte

A record 13 women will serve as governor next year after the election of New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte, breaking the record set in 2023.

Democratic state Rep. Jaime Churches who seeks a second term in the state House campaigns door to door, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Trenton, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Michigan House races will test Democrats' grasp on the state government trifecta

Read full article: Michigan House races will test Democrats' grasp on the state government trifecta

The same Michigan voters Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris needs in the critical swing state will also determine whether her party maintains its foothold on state government two years after pulling off a historic sweep.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally the Oakland Expo Center in Waterford Township, Mich., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Harris and Trump seek Arab American votes in Michigan in effort to shore up battleground states

Read full article: Harris and Trump seek Arab American votes in Michigan in effort to shore up battleground states

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both seeking support from Arab American voters as they campaign in Michigan, trying to lock down support in a battleground state that could decide the presidential race.

Chair of the Democratic National Committee Jaime Harrison, left, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennyslvania Gov. Josh Shapiro talk to volunteers during a campaign event, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Flint, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Amid worries that Democrats' blue wall may be cracking, governors hit the road for Kamala Harris

Read full article: Amid worries that Democrats' blue wall may be cracking, governors hit the road for Kamala Harris

The Democratic governors of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin this week have embarked on a bus tour through their states to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer on "Watch What Happens Live" on Bravo.

Watch Gov. Gretchen Whitmer answer hilarious questions on Bravo’s ‘Watch What Happens Live’ last night

Read full article: Watch Gov. Gretchen Whitmer answer hilarious questions on Bravo’s ‘Watch What Happens Live’ last night

It’s not every day that people who love both politics and “The Real Housewives” get to enjoy somethig that brings those two worlds together, but that happened Tuesday night when Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was a guest on Bravo’s late night talk show “Watch What Happens Live” hosted by Andy Cohen.

Demoratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Harris’ big moment, Dems’ rising stars, Gaza protesters shut out. Takeaways from DNC’s last night

Read full article: Harris’ big moment, Dems’ rising stars, Gaza protesters shut out. Takeaways from DNC’s last night

Vice President Kamala Harris urged Americans to seize a “precious, fleeting opportunity” to move beyond political divisions and the threat of Republican Donald Trump on Thursday as she closed out the Democratic National Convention.

Pink, center, stands on stage during a sound check before the start of night four of the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Here's the schedule for the DNC's fourth and final night leading up to Harris' acceptance speech

Read full article: Here's the schedule for the DNC's fourth and final night leading up to Harris' acceptance speech

The fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention is underway, culminating with Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party’s nomination for president.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Picking a running mate: Inside the 16 days between Kamala Harris' launch and her choice of Tim Walz

Read full article: Picking a running mate: Inside the 16 days between Kamala Harris' launch and her choice of Tim Walz

Kamala Harris’ whirlwind process to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate can be summed up in a word: weird.

FILE - U.S. and Chinese flags are set up at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, on July 8, 2023. Lured by the large U.S. market, Chinese businesses are coming to the U.S. with money, jobs and technology, only to find rising suspicion at a time of an intensifying U.S.-China rivalry that has spread into the business world. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool, File)

Chinese businesses hoping to expand in the US and bring jobs face uncertainty and suspicion

Read full article: Chinese businesses hoping to expand in the US and bring jobs face uncertainty and suspicion

In 2022, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer welcomed a Chinese battery company’s plan to build a $2.36 billion factory and bring a couple thousand jobs to Big Rapids.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gestures at a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in Ambler, Pa., Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Harris is planning a tour of battleground states next week with her yet-to-be-named running mate

Read full article: Harris is planning a tour of battleground states next week with her yet-to-be-named running mate

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to launch a battleground tour next week with her yet-to-be-named running mate, with stops in seven swing states stretching from Pennsylvania to Nevada.

FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks to United Auto Workers members at a rally in Detroit, Sept. 15, 2023. Michigan Democrats have warned the White House that President Joe Biden's response to the Israel-Hamas war could put his reelection campaign in jeopardy in the key swing state next year. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, file)

Michigan Gov. Whitmer endorses Kamala Harris for president: Here’s her full statement

Read full article: Michigan Gov. Whitmer endorses Kamala Harris for president: Here’s her full statement

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is officially endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden on top of the Democratic Party ticket.

FILE - San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris poses for a portrait in San Francisco, June 18, 2004. She's already broken barriers, and now Vice President Harris could soon become the first Black woman to head a major party's presidential ticket after President Joe Biden's ended his reelection bid. The 59-year-old Harris was endorsed by Biden on Sunday, July 21, after he stepped aside amid widespread concerns about the viability of his candidacy. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Vice President Kamala Harris leads list of contenders for spots on the Democratic ticket

Read full article: Vice President Kamala Harris leads list of contenders for spots on the Democratic ticket

President Joe Biden's decision to step down as the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee for president has opened the door for other possible candidates.

A man who asked not to be named holds balloons in support of President Joe Biden, as Tony Tribby, of Virginia, wears a t-shirt in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, while people gather, Sunday July 21, 2024, outside the White House in Washington. Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection following a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the election. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Biden's decision to drop out leaves Democrats across the country relieved and looking toward future

Read full article: Biden's decision to drop out leaves Democrats across the country relieved and looking toward future

Voters nationwide reacted with relief and hope to news that President Joe Biden would drop his reelection bid.

FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in the East Room of the White House, March 18, 2024, in Washington. Shes already broken barriers, and now Harris could soon become the first Black woman to head a major party's presidential ticket after President Joe Bidens ended his reelection bid. The 59-year-old Harris was endorsed by Biden on Sunday, July 21, after he stepped aside amid widespread concerns about the viability of his candidacy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Harris could become the first female president after years of breaking racial and gender barriers

Read full article: Harris could become the first female president after years of breaking racial and gender barriers

She’s already broken barriers, and now Kamala Harris could soon become the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to head a major party's presidential ticket after President Joe Biden’s ended his reelection bid.

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, July 14, 2024. With Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year. Democrats are set to hold their convention in Chicago in August. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work

Read full article: What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work

With President Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.

FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, May 4, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md. Democrats are circulating several high profile names as potential presidential alternatives including Whitmer, the co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign who is releasing a memoir titled "True Gretch," that hints at her political future this week. However, Whitmer shut down any possibility of stepping into the race this year in an interview with the Associated Press ahead of the book's launch. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Michigan Gov. Whitmer issues statement after Biden drops out of 2024 race

Read full article: Michigan Gov. Whitmer issues statement after Biden drops out of 2024 race

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement following the news of President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 race.

FILE - President Joe Biden shakes hands with actor, director and producer George Clooney during the Kennedy Center honorees reception at the White House in Washington, Dec. 4, 2022. Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney is adding his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race. Clooney says in a New York Times opinion piece Wednesday that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any control in Congress with him as the nominee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Actor George Clooney, a high-profile Biden supporter and fundraiser, asks president to leave race

Read full article: Actor George Clooney, a high-profile Biden supporter and fundraiser, asks president to leave race
FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, May 4, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md. Democrats are circulating several high profile names as potential presidential alternatives including Whitmer, the co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign who is releasing a memoir titled "True Gretch," that hints at her political future this week. However, Whitmer shut down any possibility of stepping into the race this year in an interview with the Associated Press ahead of the book's launch. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Gov. Whitmer shuts down 2024 presidential talk but doesn’t hide her ambitions in timely book launch

Read full article: Gov. Whitmer shuts down 2024 presidential talk but doesn’t hide her ambitions in timely book launch

Democrats are circulating several high-profile names as potential presidential alternatives, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign.

FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 24, 2024, at the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich. Whitmer denied a report that she had called President Joe Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon to say that Michigan was no longer winnable for the president. Whitmer in a statement Monday, July 1, insisted that Biden could still win the state in the wake of a debate performance by Biden that has left some Democrats concerned about his campaign. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer insists Biden can win her state and says she's behind him 100%

Read full article: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer insists Biden can win her state and says she's behind him 100%

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is insisting that President Joe Biden can still win her state, a key battleground in the 2024 election, even as many national Democrats question whether Biden should move forward after his shaky debate performance.

FILE - The Michigan Capitol is seen, May 24, 2023, in Lansing, Mich. Democrats are hoping to win back a majority in the deadlocked Michigan House and regain full control of state government in two special elections on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Michigan Democrats win special elections to regain full control of state government

Read full article: Michigan Democrats win special elections to regain full control of state government

Michigan Democrats are back in full legislative control thanks to victories in two state House elections.

The Michigan State Capitol is photographed, May 24, 2023, in Lansing, Mich. Democrats hope to restore their slim majority in the state House of Representatives Tuesday, April 16, 2024, when voters will fill two vacant seats in suburban Detroit. In District 13, Democrat Mai Xiong faces Republican Ronald Singer. In District 25, Democrat Peter Herzberg faces Republican Josh Powell. The chamber deadlocked at a 54-54 tie in November when two Democratic members won mayoral elections. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Michigan's state house special elections

Read full article: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Michigan's state house special elections

Michigan Democrats hope to restore their slim majority in the state House of Representatives when voters fill two vacant seats in suburban Detroit.