Governor Whitmer Background
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was born into a family already integrated into politics. Her mother served as assistant attorney general under former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley. Her father served as the head of Michigan Department of Commerce under Gov. William Milliken.
Whitmer received a bachelor’s in communications from Michigan State University and a graduate law degree from Detroit College of Law at Michigan State.
Whitmer ran unsuccessfully for Michigan House of Representatives in the 1990s but was eventually elected to the house in 2000 and later the Michigan Senate in 2006. In 2016, Whitmer became interim Ingham County Prosecutor following a scandal with the serving prosecutor. In 2018, she ran for governor and received 53% majority of votes.
Whitmer’s campaign for governor ran under a slogan to “fix the damn roads,” create affordable healthcare options, and resolve the Flint water crisis. In 2019, Whitmer proposed a 45 cent increase in gas taxes to pay for road infrastructure repair. The proposal was never enacted. As a vocal opponent of single-payer healthcare, Whitmer fought and succeeded to extend Medicare coverage to over 600,000 Michigan residents. In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Whitmer to vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Gretchen Whitmer (moneyinc.com)
Whitmer — About the Governor (michigan.gov)
