Gretchen Whitmer “Seriously Considering” A Run for Governor in 2018
Whitmer was recently appointed interim Ingham County prosecutor, sparking speculation about her political future.
“If I’m going to undertake a statewide race, it’s going to be for the office where I can do the most good for the most people,” says Whitmer. “And I think the governor’s office is.”
Former state Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer says if she runs for statewide office in 2018, it will likely be for governor.
Whitmer was recently appointed to serve as the interim prosecutor for Ingham County. That’s the county that includes the state capital in Lansing. She takes over for former prosecutor Stuart Dunnings, who faces fifteen charges related to a prostitution ring. Political onlookers have pegged Whitmer as a possible candidate for governor in 2018. But the decision to serve as interim Ingham County prosecutor have some insiders wondering about her future political aspirations. Some have speculated that it could signal a possible run for attorney general.
The East Lansing attorney speaks with Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson about her new position and her political future. Whitmer says she’s not interested in running for AG.
“If I’m going to undertake a statewide race, it’s going to be for the office where I can do the most good for the most people,” says Whitmer. “And I think the governor’s office is.”
“I am seriously looking at running for governor,” she says. “I haven’t made any sort of announcement yet and I won’t for quite a while if that’s the path that I decide, ultimately, to choose.”
Whitmer says it would be easy for her to return to the private sector and work for political causes behind-the-scenes after a number of years in the state Legislature. But she says she feels compelled to be out front in the political arena.
“I see what’s happened in the last year-and-a-half,” she says, “I see a Legislature that is mired in sex scandals. I see road plans that aren’t really fixing the roads in a meaningful, long-term way. I see Flint, the Flint water crisis, and what’s going on in state government with our Grand Rapids veterans. And it really infuriates me. I sometimes have a hard time recognizing the state we live in from the one in which I grew up to the one my kids are now growing up. And so, I’ve decided to stay active.”
Whitmer will only serve as prosecutor in Ingham County for a few months, as she did not file to run for the position in the August election.
To hear the full conversation, click on the audio link above.
