Politics

Michigan Gov. Whitmer Won't Endorse Lt. Gov. Gilchrist or Anyone Else For Governor in Primary

January 10, 2025, 9:51 AM by  Allan Lengel

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Gov. Whitmer talks to Tim Skubick

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she won't endorse her running mate, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II or anyone else in the Democratic primary in the 2026 governor's race.

"Garlin has been my partner for six years, he's a great leader," Whitmer told Lansing correspondent Tim Skubick, host of "Off the Record," in a recent interview. "I could tell you, Jocelyn Benson has been a great Secretary of State leading her department. Mike Duggan's done a great job leading the city of Detroit and that's probably not the whole class of friends that I have that are looking at it."

Skubick tells Whitmer it has been a tradition that Michigan governors endorse their running mate, to which she responds: "There's also a tradition that none of them end up winning, so I think it's time to break tradition."

Gilchrist has indicated he's interested in being governor, but has not officially made an announcement. He's also been mentioned as a possible candidate for mayor of Detroit. 

She was also asked about Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's decision to run as an Independent.

"He's been a great partner, he's making his calculation about his path to victory. I'm not going second guess it  and I'm not going to criticize... I'm just going to stay out of it."

She went on to say of Duggan:

"I think it would be a mistake to write anyone off, and especially someone who has been written off before."

Duggan in 2013 beat the odds by winning as a write-in candidate for mayor in the primary. 



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