Michigan’s Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party and often speculated as a potential presidential candidate for 2028, has stated she won’t be entering the presidential race in the next election cycle.
“There will be a vibrant pool of candidates running for president,” Whitmer, who is nearing the end of her term, shared with a journalist in Michigan on Thursday. “I can assure you that I will not be among them in 2028.”
Whitmer has frequently been spotlighted as a prominent contender among a notable group of Democrats who could vie for the party’s presidential nomination. This anticipation was fueled by the upcoming race to replace the current term-limited Republican President, Donald Trump. However, her latest remarks seem to dispel longstanding speculation about her ambitions on the national stage.
As governor of a pivotal swing state in the Great Lakes region, Whitmer rose to prominence during Trump’s initial term, often clashing with his policies and delivering the Democratic rebuttal to his 2020 State of the Union address.
Despite her reputation as a staunch critic of Trump, Whitmer has sought common ground with the president on certain policy matters during his second term. Her image as an adversary took a hit when a photo from April last year surfaced, showing her in the Oval Office with Trump. The image, in which she attempted to shield her face with folders, quickly went viral, sparking discontent among some Democrats.
This notorious incident occurred when Whitmer was at the White House for a private meeting focused on Michigan-centric issues. She was unexpectedly brought into a public news conference with Trump. Whitmer later explained she was there to advocate for her state, despite disagreeing with much of Trump’s discourse during the event, and she had not anticipated being photographed.
Whitmer, a former state representative, state senator and Ingham County prosecuting attorney, was elected Michigan governor in 2018.
She was often in the national headlines during her first term as governor and was on former President Joe Biden’s shortlist for a 2020 running mate.
Whitmer was also viewed as a potential future White House contender and fueled speculation with a stop in the key presidential primary state of New Hampshire in the summer of 2024, to campaign on behalf of then-Vice President Kamala Harris, soon after Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee.
The list of possible 2028 Democratic presidential contenders includes Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Wes Moore of Maryland, who, similar to Whitmer, has said he isn’t running for the White House in 2028.
Other potential contenders include Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ro Khanna of California, Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, former ambassador and former Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama before winning election and re-election as Chicago mayor, and Gina Raimondo, a former two-term Rhode Island governor who later served as commerce secretary in the Biden administration.
