Michigan Gov. Whitmer says will not run for 2028 presidency

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday that she will not run for president in 2028, ending months of speculation about her potential candidacy. The two-term Democratic governor made the definitive statement during an interview at the state’s annual Mackinac policy conference, where she is scheduled to be honored and deliver remarks.

Whitmer said she expects a robust group of candidates to seek the presidency but stated she will not be among them. Her term concludes at the end of this year. The governor had previously been noncommittal about her political future, telling an audience at an April breakfast in Detroit that she was unsure if she would ever seek elected office again but noted she was 54 years old and had a lot of gas in the tank.

Political observers have long considered Whitmer a potential White House contender, citing her decisive election victories in Michigan, a state that has been closely contested in recent presidential elections. Former President Donald Trump carried Michigan in both 2016 and 2020. Her announcement clarifies the landscape for the next Democratic presidential primary, which is expected to feature a crowded field.