LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s quick ascension to the national stage — and onto Joe Biden’s list of potential running mates — has left Democrats excited about what her future may hold and thankful that she will continue to lead Michigan. Two years ago, Whitmer was on her way to a resounding victory…
With little direction from Washington, the nation’s governors have pulled together a patchwork of mitigation efforts to fight Covid-19. They limited gatherings, ordered masks, closed businesses and encouraged al fresco dining, beer-to-go and prayers at home. Now, they’re wrestling with what to do about school reopenings at a time when coronavirus cases keep rising. And…
Gretchen Whitmer first heard the word “coronavirus” over the 2019 Christmas holidays from her younger sister, who a decade earlier contracted H1N1. Whitmer, just a year into office and preoccupied with her agenda for 2020, barely registered it. She was in a hurry to push forward on some of her campaign promises, like introducing an…
Then the faulty dams burst, the city of Midland flooded to record heights and a quarter of its residents evacuated their homes. President Trump threatened to withhold Michigan’s federal funds over its plans to send every voter mail-in ballot applications. And Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced yet another surreal, television-primed protest of her stay-at-home orders — this time with demonstrators…
On Monday morning, Detroit local media reported on assassination threats made by members of rightwing Facebook groups against Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer. That afternoon, Whitmer addressed the tense situation by taking aim at largely silent Republicans in the legislature. “This could be avoided if Republican leadership in the legislature would step up and denounce that…
A few times each week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers a clear, forceful summary of the changes she’s implementing to keep Michiganders safe from COVID-19 on a state-run livestream. Later, she delivers a similar message on national television. For Michiganders used to hearing from the governor mostly about how to ‘fix the damn roads,’ it’s not…
She ran on the slogan “Fix the damn roads,” the kind of platform that emphasizes practical thinking over partisan politics. So how did pragmatic Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer find herself in the middle of several of Donald Trump’s most recent tirades? Well, like others who have ended up in a similar position, she happens to be a woman—with a…
Gretchen Whitmer has been called a lot of things in the last few weeks. The Michigan governor is a “rising star for Democrats,” according to the Washington Post, and a potential vice-presidential pick for presumptive nominee Joe Biden. According to President Donald Trump, though, she’s “the woman in Michigan” or “Gretchen ‘Half’ Whitmer.” And if you…
When Liz Gereghty gets a call from her sister, it’s not the name Gretchen or Big Sis that pops up on the caller ID on her cellphone. Instead, Gereghty has changed her contact profile to show that it’s “The Woman from Michigan” calling. It’s a tribute to her sister — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — and the task…
LANSING, Mich.—The phone rings once. “Hello?” It’s a man’s voice: gruff, impatient. “Hi there,” the female caller says. “May I please speak with John?” “Who’s this?” “Gretchen Whitmer.” A three-second pause. “Governor Whitmer?” “Yes, sir.” “Oh ma’am,” John says, his tone apologetic. “Hi. How are you?” It’s a loaded question. This particular call, one of…