Gretchen Whitmer’s story is one of defiance and grit, qualities that make her a rising star in the Democratic Party. Her fight, like so many others in Michigan, is rooted in the working-class values that have defined the state for decades. This week, all eyes are on the United Center in Chicago, where Whitmer is expected to take the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. She will be delivering remarks alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, who will accept the Democratic nomination for president. It’s the culmination of a weeklong convention where Democrats have laid out their vision for the future of the country, and Michigan is at the center of it all.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Michigan, a key battleground state, has been at the epicenter of the political fight for the presidency for the past several election cycles. In 2016, Donald Trump narrowly flipped the state, shocking the Democratic establishment. But in 2020, voters brought it back into the Democratic fold, helping to secure President Joe Biden’s victory. This year, as the race between Harris and Trump heats up, Michigan once again finds itself in the spotlight. Polls show the two candidates locked in a tight race for the state, which both campaigns view as essential to securing the presidency this fall.
Whitmer’s journey to the national stage hasn’t been easy. Her name first became known nationally when she was elected governor of Michigan in 2018, defeating her Republican opponent by a decisive margin just two years after Trump’s victory in the state. Since then, Whitmer has built a reputation as a tough leader, weathering attacks from Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic, surviving a kidnapping plot, and pushing through some of the most progressive policies in the state’s history.
“Freedom” has been a recurring theme throughout the Democratic convention this week. It’s a word that has been used as a political tool by both parties, but Whitmer and her fellow Democrats have been reclaiming it—shaping it to reflect their fight for reproductive rights, gun safety, and economic justice. On Tuesday, Whitmer addressed a roomful of advocates at a gathering hosted by Everytown for Gun Safety and Planned Parenthood. “Be bold,” she urged them, noting the importance of speaking openly about abortion and gun safety. “Don’t treat either issue as a third rail that no one wants to talk about.”
For Whitmer, that boldness has defined her tenure as governor. After Trump’s frequent jabs at her during the pandemic—calling her “that woman from Michigan”—Whitmer didn’t back down. She enforced strict public health measures and continued to advocate for the safety of her state, despite the political backlash. In 2020, she gave the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address, further raising her national profile. Later that year, when the Democratic National Convention was held virtually due to the pandemic, Whitmer delivered her address from a union hall in Lansing, symbolizing her deep ties to labor and the working class.
Since then, her influence within the party has only grown. When Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved a measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution last year, it was a testament to Whitmer’s leadership on reproductive freedom. Her administration has also made strides in gun safety, with the Democratic-led Legislature passing stricter gun laws. Additionally, Democrats repealed the state’s abortion ban, which had been on the books for nearly a century, further cementing Michigan’s position as a progressive stronghold in the Midwest.
This week, as Whitmer prepares to address the convention on Thursday, her role in the party’s future is clearer than ever. After Biden’s shaky debate performance earlier this summer, rumors began swirling that Whitmer could replace him at the top of the Democratic ticket. Her name was even floated as a potential vice-presidential pick for Harris, though Harris ultimately chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Whitmer has consistently pushed back on the speculation, stating her intention to finish her term as governor, which ends in 2026.
But her influence in this election is undeniable. Whitmer has fully thrown her support behind Harris, serving as co-chair of her election campaign. “She’s a former prosecutor, a champion for reproductive freedom, and I know that she’s got Michigan’s back,” Whitmer said in a statement endorsing Harris last month. “In Vice President Harris, Michigan voters have a presidential candidate they can count on to focus on lowering their costs, restoring their freedoms, and bringing jobs and supply chains back home from overseas.”
Harris, who was last in Michigan on August 7 for a rally at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, understands the importance of the state in her path to the presidency. Both campaigns are heavily invested in winning over Michigan voters, and Harris’ campaign strategy has placed a particular focus on economic justice, reproductive rights, and restoring democracy—a message that Whitmer has echoed throughout her tenure as governor.
As Whitmer steps onto the national stage once again this Thursday, she will be speaking not just as a governor but as a symbol of the fight for freedom in a divided country. Her leadership through some of the most challenging moments in Michigan’s recent history has prepared her for this moment, and her words will carry the weight of a state that has become a political battleground.
The road ahead won’t be easy. With Trump still commanding a loyal base of supporters in Michigan, the race for the state is expected to be tight until the very end. But Whitmer’s message, like that of her party, is one of resilience and hope—a promise to fight for the rights and freedoms of all Americans, no matter the political landscape.
As she prepares to join Harris on the final night of the convention, Whitmer’s journey from Michigan to the national stage is a reminder that the fight for freedom is far from over. And with her in the trenches, the Democratic Party is ready for whatever comes next.
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