MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Michigan’s Democratic governor has definitively ended speculation surrounding a possible 2028 White House run, announcing Thursday that she will not pursue the presidency after her term concludes at year’s end.
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan had been considered by many within her party as a potential presidential candidate following her strong electoral performances in a key swing state that Republican Donald Trump has won in two presidential elections. Despite months of speculation, she had previously given only vague responses regarding her future political plans.
During a Thursday interview with Fox 2 Detroit, she provided her most definitive statement to date.
“I think there will be a robust group of people running for president. I will not be one of them in 2028,” Whitmer said.
The governor made these remarks while attending Michigan’s yearly Mackinac policy conference, where she was scheduled to receive recognition and speak later in the day.
Previously, she had indicated plans to take time considering her next political steps.
“I don’t know that I’ll put my name on the ballot again. I’m just not sure,” Whitmer said at an April breakfast in Detroit. “But I also am 54 years old. I got a lot of gas in the tank.”
The Mackinac conference has emerged as a center for presidential political discussions, with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin — both viewed as potential 2028 candidates — also participating in the event.
