Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 and in the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015.
Gretchen Whitmer | |
|---|---|
Whitmer in 2021 | |
| 49th Governor of Michigan | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2019 | |
| Lieutenant | Garlin Gilchrist |
| Preceded by | Rick Snyder |
| Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
| Assumed office January 21, 2021 | |
| Chair | Jaime Harrison |
| Preceded by | Grace Meng |
| Prosecuting Attorney of Ingham County | |
| In office July 21, 2016 – December 31, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Stuart Dunnings III |
| Succeeded by | Carol Siemon |
| Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate | |
| In office January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2015 | |
| Deputy | Steve Bieda |
| Preceded by | Mike Prusi |
| Succeeded by | Jim Ananich |
| Member of the Michigan Senate from the 23rd district | |
| In office March 21, 2006 – January 1, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Virgil Bernero |
| Succeeded by | Curtis Hertel Jr. |
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives | |
| In office January 1, 2003 – March 21, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Michael C. Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Mark Meadows |
| Constituency | 69th district |
| In office January 1, 2001 – January 1, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Laura Baird |
| Succeeded by | Judy Emmons |
| Constituency | 70th district |
| Chair of the East Lansing Transportation Commission | |
| In office 1999–2000 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gretchen Esther Whitmer August 23, 1971 Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Gary Shrewsbury (divorced)Marc Mallory (m. 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion |
| Education | Michigan State University (BA, JD) |
| Signature | |
Whitmer was born and raised in Michigan. She is a graduate of Forest Hills Central High School, Michigan State University, and the Detroit College of Law. Her political career began in 2000 when she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives. In 2006, she became a state senator, a position she kept until 2015. She was the Senate's first female Democratic leader from 2011 to 2015. In 2013, Whitmer gained national attention for a floor speech during a debate on abortion in which she shared her experience of being sexually assaulted. For six months in 2016, she was the prosecutor for Ingham County. Whitmer was elected governor in 2018, defeating Republican nominee and state attorney general Bill Schuette.
As governor, Whitmer has focused on healthcare and infrastructure legislation. In February 2020, she was selected to give the Democratic response to then President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address. On October 8,[1] the Federal Bureau of Investigation thwarted a militia group's kidnapping plot against Whitmer.[2] Since January 2021, Whitmer has served as one of the vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee. She was reelected governor in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.
Early life and education
Gretchen Whitmer was born on August 23, 1971, in Lansing, Michigan, the eldest of three children of Sharon H. "Sherry" Reisig (née Hanna)[3] and Richard Whitmer, who were both attorneys.[4][5] Her father was head of the state department of commerce under Governor William Milliken, a Republican, and the president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan from 1988 to 2006.[6] Whitmer's mother worked as an assistant attorney general under Michigan Attorney General, Frank J. Kelley.[7] Her parents divorced when she was ten years old. She and her siblings moved with their mother to Grand Rapids; her father traveled from his home in Detroit to visit the family at least once a week.[8]
From 1985 to 1989, Whitmer attended Forest Hills Central High School near Grand Rapids, Michigan, participating in the school's softball and track and field teams.[9][10]
After graduating from Forest Hills, Whitmer enrolled at Michigan State University to study communications, with the intent of becoming a broadcaster for ESPN.[8] While in college she became an intern for state representative Curtis Hertel, which convinced her to study law. In 1998 she received her Juris Doctor from Michigan State's College of Law and began practicing law at the Dickinson Wright law firm's Lansing offices.[10][11]
Michigan legislature
In 2000, Whitmer, then chairwoman of the East Lansing Transportation Commission, was elected to represent the Michigan House of Representatives' 70th district, receiving 17,409 votes and defeating Republican nominee Bill Hollister.[12] She was reelected to the 69th House district in 2002 and 2004.[13][14] In 2005, she was voted Most Effective Democrat of the Michigan House.[15]
In March 2006, Whitmer won a special election to the Michigan State Senate, replacing Virg Bernero, who had been elected mayor of Lansing in November 2005.[16] She was elected to a full term in November, and reelected in 2010. In 2011, Whitmer's Democratic colleagues unanimously chose her to be the Senate Democratic Leader, making her the first woman to lead a party caucus in the Senate.[7] Due to term limits, Whitmer was unable to run for reelection in 2014 and left office in 2015.[17] In 2013, she received national recognition when she discussed her experience of being sexually assaulted.[18] She told the story during a debate about abortion rights, particularly for victims of rape, arguing victims should be allowed to terminate pregnancies that result from rape.[19]
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,[20] after he was arrested on March 14, 2016, and charged with 11 counts of involvement with a prostitute and four counts of willful neglect of duty.[21] In a letter dated March 29, 2016, Dunnings announced he would resign effective July 2.[22]
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.[23]
On July 22, 2016, Whitmer issued an 11-page report on whether Dunnings's alleged criminal activity had affected cases handled by the office. 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".[24][25] Whitmer's term expired on December 31, 2016.
Governorship
Elections
2018
On January 3, 2017, Whitmer announced she would run in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial race.[26] On August 7, 2018, Whitmer became the Democratic nominee for governor of Michigan.[27] She won all 83 counties in the state in the Democratic primary.[28]
In July 2018, Republican officials accused Whitmer of supporting the movement to abolish ICE, a claim that Whitmer disputed. She said that, if elected, she would focus on improving Michigan's fundamentals, such as schools, roads, and water systems.[29] Whitmer's main opponent was Republican Bill Schuette, the term-limited attorney general of Michigan. The two candidates met for a debate on October 12, 2018, in Grand Rapids, at WOOD-TV. A second debate was held at WDIV studios in Detroit on October 24.[30]
Whitmer defeated Schuette in the November 6 election by nearly a 10-point margin.[31]
2022
Whitmer was reelected to a second term in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.[32] 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.[33] Whitmer won 18 counties and expanded her margins in several vote-rich, bellwether areas of the state, including Oakland, Macomb, and Kent Counties.[34]
Tenure
Whitmer describes herself as a progressive Democrat,[35] who can work with state legislators from different political perspectives.[35]
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.[36] 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.[37] 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.[38][39]
Whitmer's first budget earmarked several billions of dollars for investment in infrastructure.[40][41][42] In 2019, she struggled with the Republican-controlled legislature to pass a budget and made several concessions.[40]
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.[43] As governor, she has focused on women's healthcare and Medicaid expansion.[40]
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.[44] 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.[45]
After the 2022 Michigan elections, Democrats took control of the Senate and House of Representatives, allowing Whitmer greater control of her legislative agenda. She laid out her plans in her January 26, 2023, State of The State address. She called for a repeal of the state's retirement tax, raising the state's earned income tax credit from 6% to 30%, universal pre-K, investment in renewable energy such as wind and solar power, a repeal of Michigan's now defunct 1931 abortion ban, increasing education spending, stricter regulations on firearms such as universal background checks and a ban on 3D printed guns, the addition of sexual identity and gender identity in the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, and further investment in manufacturing.[46]
COVID-19 pandemic
Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.[47] This order was met with broad public approval; a March poll found that 69% of Michigan residents supported Whitmer's actions, including 61% of self-identified Republicans.[48]
After Whitmer extended the order and tightened restrictions in April,[49][50] an eight-hour protest against the restrictions, organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and co-hosted by the Michigan Freedom Fund,[51][52] attracted between 3,000 and 4,000 protesters to the Michigan State Capitol.[53][54][55] New York Times columnist Charlie Warzel described the demonstration as "twisted, paranoid and racialized", pushed by conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones.[56] Jeanine Pirro of Fox News praised the protesters, saying: "God bless them, it’s going to happen all over the country."[57] At the time of the protest, more than 1,900 people in Michigan had died after contracting the virus.[49] On April 29, a Michigan judge upheld the order against legal challenge, ruling: "Our fellow residents have an interest to remain unharmed by a highly communicable and deadly virus. And since the state entered the Union in 1837, it has had the broad power to act for the public health of the entire state when faced with a public crisis."[58]
Polling by the Detroit Regional Chamber in mid-April found that 57% of Michigan residents approved of Whitmer's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the extension,[59][60] despite the protests.[61][62] The family of the first child to die of COVID-19 in Michigan expressed support for Whitmer's decision to extend the stay-at-home order on the grounds that social distancing would save lives. LaVondria Herbert, the child's mother, said: "I want to say thank you to the governor for making people go home."[63]
In May 2020, Detroit-based rapper Gmac Cash released a song, "Big Gretch", in support of Whitmer and her handling of the pandemic.[64] In the song, Cash calls to put "Buffs on her face", referring to a brand of buffalo horn sunglasses from Cartier, which Detroiters consider a sign of respect.[65]
On October 2, 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4–3 that "a state law allowing the governor to declare emergencies and keep them in place without legislative input—the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act—is unconstitutional", 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".[66] Also on October 2, a petition containing 539,384 signatures was submitted seeking to repeal the 1945 EPGA law allowing Whitmer emergency powers during the pandemic.[67]
In March 2021, Whitmer traveled to Florida for three days to visit her ailing father.[68][69] The trip was controversial,[69][70] in part because Whitmer did not self-quarantine on her return, despite voluntary guidelines from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommending self-quarantine for a full seven days after travel; Whitmer's staff said she was regularly tested for COVID-19.[71] Further controversy about the trip arose because Air Eagle LLC, the company hired to fly Whitmer to Florida, is not authorized to operate charter flights.[69]
In May 2021, Whitmer was photographed with a large group of unmasked people, with no social distancing, in a bar in East Lansing.[72] The restaurant was violating state-mandated social distancing guidelines that restricted indoor dining to six people per table.[73] Whitmer apologized for the incident.[74]
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.[40][75][76]
In early March, days before the 2020 Michigan Democratic presidential primary, Whitmer endorsed Joe Biden, and joined his campaign as a national co-chair.[77]
In 2020, amid her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as after tweets in which Trump attacked her and called her "that woman from Michigan", Whitmer gained a greater national profile.[78][79][80] Her response to the pandemic was the subject of the cover story of Newsweek's May 1, 2020, edition.[81] Also in May, Cecily Strong impersonated Whitmer on an episode of Saturday Night Live.[82] Strong portrayed Whitmer on the show again in 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]
Whitmer delivered a speech at the 2020 Democratic National Convention that 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]
In early January 2021, then-President-elect Biden nominated Whitmer as one of the vice chair candidates for the Democratic National Committee;[90] the committee elected Whitmer and the rest of the slate of candidates on January 20 unopposed.[91][92]
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.[93] In an article for Vanity Fair, journalist and presidential advisor Jennifer Palmieri endorsed Whitmer as a potential presidential contender.[94] In response to these speculations, Whitmer declared that she would not run for president, intending to serve a full second term as governor.[95] On April 25, 2023, Whitmer was named co-chair of Biden's reelection campaign.[96] On June 12, 2023, she launched the Fight Like Hell PAC in an effort to boost Democrats running for federal office in 2024.[97] In December, the PAC endorsed its first slate of candidates, causing further speculation about a future presidential bid.[98]
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.[99] 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.[2] Another seven men were charged with state crimes in relation to the plot.[100] 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.[101]
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.[102][103] In April 2022, two men (Harris and Caserta) were acquitted on all charges on grounds of entrapment by federal authorities.[104] 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.[105]
Policies and political positions
Abortion
During the COVID-19 pandemic, groups within the United States anti-abortion movement criticized Whitmer for allowing abortion procedures to continue in Michigan, stating that they were "life-sustaining".[106] 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. She expressed support for a 2022 Michigan ballot proposal codifying a right to abortion.[107][108] On April 5, 2023, Whitmer signed legislation to repeal Michigan's statutory ban on abortion procedures and drugs.[109]
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, creating a $1 billion economic development fund to attract manufacturers to Michigan.[110][111] The bill had bipartisan support. In a public Facebook post dated April 19, 2012, Whitmer criticized Governor Rick Snyder and his handing over public funds to big business. Her complaint was attached to an article by Tim Skubick.[112]
On February 13, 2023, Whitmer attended a press conference with Ford Motor Company executives at Ford's Romulus facility to announce the creation of Ford Blue Oval Battery Factory on the Marshall Megasite, 1,900 acres of farmland in Marshall Township, Calhoun County.[113][114][115] The state has allocated over $1.8 billion to purchase land and prep it for Ford Blue Oval.[116] The move proved contentious as the property, purchased with state funds, was not zoned for heavy industry. Public backlash to the project ensued against the Marshall Megasite and the Ford Motor Company's Blue Oval Battery Park.[117] On May 1, 2023, after a six-hour public hearing, the Marshall City Council voted to change the zoning on the Marshall Megasite to allow for heavy industrial site.[118] Council members had rejected the Joint Planning Committee's recommendation to reject the zoning changes. Marshall residents collected 810 signatures of registered voters within the City of Marshall asking for a referendum. The Marshall City Council rejected the petition submitted by the Committee for Marshall-Not the Megasite. The committee then filed suit against the City of Marshall and the Clerk for refusing to accept the petition.[119] The Detroit Free Press uncovered a connection between Whitmer's campaign connection and a ballot committee which filed a lawsuit against the Committee for Marshall-Not the Megasite. Neither Whitmer's campaign committee nor Whitmer herself confirmed or denied the connection to the ballot committee that filed the lawsuit.[120]
Cannabis legalization
In 2018, as a candidate for governor, Whitmer spoke at Hash Bash to endorse Proposal 1 to legalize recreational cannabis in Michigan.[121] Whitmer said that she had been a longtime supporter of legalizing cannabis, "before it was politically fashionable", and that the time was right to "get it done" so "maybe we can get to work filling those damn potholes" and "regulate it so it doesn't get in the hands of kids".[122][123] In 2019, as governor, she reappeared at Hash Bash via recorded video message, saying: "We worked hard, we got it done, we made recreational marijuana legal in the state of Michigan."[124][125]
Education
Whitmer has said she would like to phase in full-day universal pre-k 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.[126]
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.[127] 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.[128] 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.[129]
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.[130] By 2021, more than 120,000 people had applied for the first-of-its-kind program.[131]
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,[132][133] 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.[134]
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.[135] She is a proponent of expanding industry onto agricultural lands and natural areas throughout Michigan, most notably in supporting industrial "Megasites", such as the proposed Marshall Megasite[136] or Michigan Megasite, which would use 1,600 acres of agricultural lands and natural area along the Kalamazoo River for industrial development.[137] Environmentalists at The National Wildlife Federation oppose this, saying that the protection of natural areas is critical for wildlife habitat and in fighting the effects of climate change by offsetting carbon emissions.[138] In February 2019, Whitmer issued an executive order No. 2019-06,[139] which calls for the reorganization of government departments and renamed The Department of Environmental Quality the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The department that promotes the development of industrial Megasites is thus now under the umbrella of the former Department of Environmental Quality.
Guns
On January 11, 2021, Whitmer called for a ban on all weapons inside the Michigan State Capitol in response to armed protestors in April 2020.[140] In her seven "concrete steps" to deter school shooting, she has called for bans on bump stocks and increasing resources for school resource officers.[141][142] In 2019, Whitmer joined 11 other governors in calling for stricter gun control laws in the form of "common sense gun legislation".[143] 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.[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 drug prices and crack down on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The legislation required pharmacists to disclose prices of cheaper generic drugs to patients and required PBMs to be licensed and file transparency reports on their drug pricing.[151][152]
Immigration
In 2021, Whitmer declared that Michigan was ready to accept Afghan refugee families fleeing the county amid the Taliban takeover following the U.S. withdrawal. 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 by immigration authorities.[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 repairs directing agencies to speed up permitting for infrastructure projects.[160] Also in 2022, she announced the creation of the Michigan Infrastructure Office to coordinate between agencies and 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 to include LGBT individuals, supporting efforts “since her first term in office.”[167] She was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign in both her 2018 and 2022 campaigns for governor.[168][169] On March 16, 2023, Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation to expand the Elliot Larsen Act to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The expansion protected LGBT Michiganders from discrimination in employment and housing. The bill signing “was heralded as a historic advancement in civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Michiganders by activists and policymakers.” Several Republican lawmakers joined with Democrats in the Michigan House and Senate to pass the bill with by significant margins.[170]
Tax and fiscal policy
As governor, Whitmer has signed several major tax cuts into law. In 2021, she signed bipartisan legislation to eliminate the tampon tax – repealing the state sales tax on all feminine hygiene products. The bipartisan bill provided $7 million in total tax savings.[171] Whitmer signed two bipartisan tax cuts for small businesses into law in 2021, totaling $275 million. In October 2021, she signed legislation into law expanding property tax exemptions, providing $75 million in savings for small businesses.[172][173] In December 2021, Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation creating a SALT tax cap workaround for small businesses and 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
On March 28, 2020, Whitmer signed an executive order expanding access to mail-in voting.[183]
Workers' rights
Whitmer supports labor unions. In March 2023, she signed the repeal of the state's 2012 "right-to-work law", making Michigan the first state in 58 years to do this. Whitmer also signed legislation reinstating a prevailing wage law that mandates that contractors hired for projects with the state pay union-level wages.[184]
Personal life
Whitmer and her first husband, Gary Shrewsbury, have two children. The couple divorced, and in 2011 she married dentist Marc P. Mallory, who has three children from his previous marriage.[185][186] Whitmer and Mallory live in the Michigan Governor's Mansion in Lansing, Michigan with her two daughters and his three sons.[4][187] They also own a vacation cottage in Antrim County, near Elk Rapids.[188] In May 2021, Whitmer was sharply criticized after being photographed without a mask at a Michigan restaurant, a violation of the state's COVID-19 mandate. She soon apologized publicly.[189]
Whitmer's sister, Liz Whitmer Gereghty, is a Katonah-Lewisboro School Board trustee in Westchester County, New York, and is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 17th district, a swing district held by Republican freshman Mike Lawler, in 2024.[190][191][192]
Whitmer was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2023, which she said she was "honored to be joining".[193][194]
See also
References
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External links
- Governor Gretchen Whitmer official government website
- Gretchen Whitmer for Governor campaign website
- Gretchen Whitmer at Curlie
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Profile at Vote Smart