Who is Gretchen Whitmer? One of the possible candidates to replace Joe Biden

As the ripple effect of the President’s decision continues, we do know that he has already given his endorsement to Vice President Kamala Harris but it may, in fact, be another woman who ends up leading the Democratic party into the coming election: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Who is Gretchen Whitmer?

In the moments after President Joe Biden announced that he would step down as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the White House, Gretchen Whitmer released a statement of support and gratitude for Biden’s service in office, while also declaring that she remains committed to getting Democratic representatives elected. It was what you would expect from the woman who has served the state of Michigan for two decades now i.e., straight and to the point. Indeed, since she was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2001 where she served through 2006, when she ran for Senate, she has continued to get straight to the point, winning consecutive state Senate races and serving until 2014.

During that Senate run, Whitmer would go on to become the Democratic minority and in so doing was the first woman ever to hold the position. Following her term, she parted ways with the Senate and was appointed Ingham County prosecutor in 2016, a role she would hold for just two years before running for Governor of Michigan - a race she won by more than 300,000 votes. Truthfully, were it not for her efforts during the covid-19 global pandemic, there’s reason to believe things could have been far worse for the state. Of course, that appeared to have been lost on then-President Donald Trump who constantly criticized her, referring to her as “half Whitmer” and “that woman from Michigan” at the time.

Incidentally, Whitmer was also the target of an apparent kidnapping plot in 2020, something that subsequently led to the arrest of 14 men. Two of them During 2020, Whitmer was the target in a plot of kidnap – which ultimately led to the arrest of 14 men. That was of course the same year that she was considered as a possible running mate for Biden but he ultimately decided on Kamala Harris. Where context is concerned, it’s worth noting that in the days after Biden’s disastrous debate with Trump, Whitmer released her memoir, “True Gretch”, a book that has been largely considered a consolidation of her presidential aspirations.

With that said, the Michigan Governor has been quick to dismiss any form of suggestion or question about her being a Biden replacement. “It’s a distraction more than anything,” Whitmer said earlier this month. “I don’t like seeing my name in articles like that because I’m totally focused on governing and campaigning for the ticket.” Needless to say, with Biden now officially out of the picture, it could be that Gretchen Whitmer has got to rethink her stance on the matter. Time will tell.