What's Up With Whitmer?
I know her and I think I know.
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FOR YEARS, as a longtime Washington journalist now back home in Michigan, I’ve given political consultants and journalists the same answer to their questions about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s White House ambitions: “Maybe she runs, but she may be normal enough not to want it.”
I dusted off the response Thursday when an Associated Press editor texted me Whitmer’s response to a reporter’s question about the 2028 presidential election. Michigan’s governor said: “There will be a robust group of people running for president. I will not be one of them in 2028. I can tell you that.”
My reply to the AP editor: “I believe her.”
Hours later, Whitmer backtracked. “You know, I never thought I would run for governor, so I guess I should know better than to say any of it. Never say never,” Whitmer said. This time, she was on stage at a Michigan policy conference in an interview with an insurance company CEO.
“At this juncture, I’ve got nothing to announce.”
I still believe her. Whitmer doesn’t know if she will run, but likely won’t and doesn’t want to close out her options, which could include a spot on the ticket or in the Cabinet.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she stays in the state. She loves Michigan (there’s so much to love, people) and the state loves her back (she is one of the nation’s most popular governors).
The truth is, Whitmer’s presidential prospects depend less on her ambition than the Democratic Party’s direction. She has led Michigan for two terms, a centrist Democrat in a swing state. After spending much of her first term fighting President Trump over pandemic safeguards, Whitmer developed a working relationship with the president that benefited her state.
The fights made her a darling of the Left. The pragmatism did not: A photo of Whitmer hiding her face behind a folder during an Oval Office event became an unflattering meme in the political circles that count most in Democratic presidential jockeying. There may be no backtracking from it.
FIGHTING FOMO: The Whitmer story first appeared in today’s “Morning Read-In.” Unless you’re a paid subscriber to Convulsions, you also missed stories on:
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It's a shame that she most likely won't be running, but she probably recognized that the moderate lane in the 2028 Democratic primary already has a few prominent candidates. Her decision not to run could help Buttigieg, Shapiro, etc. consolidate support.