Gretchen Whitmer on 2028 presidential aspirations: ‘Never say never’

Gov. Whitmer outlined her final-term priorities at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island
She also urged lawmakers to pass a balanced budget before a July deadline, focusing on competitiveness, housing and literacy rates
She also backtracked comments made earlier in the day that she didn’t have plans to run for president in 2028

After telling Fox2 Thursday morning she had no plans to run for president in 2028, Gov. Gretchern Whitmer walked back the statement hours later with a familiar political caveat: “Never say never.”

After giving her final keynote speech as governor at the Mackinac Policy Conference, Whitmer told Tricia A. Keith, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, “I never thought I would run for governor, so I guess I should know better to never say never, but I don’t want distractions as I wrap up my eight years as governor.

“We still have really important things to do and I find all this talk about my future such a distraction from what I want to get done today.”

During her speech, Whitmer outlined her priorities for the rest of her term, urging the Legislature to help her pass a balanced budget ahead of the statutory July 1 deadline.

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Last year, the state Legislature failed to reach a compromise before the budget deadline and didn’t pass one until Oct. 3, missing the Oct. 1 constitutional deadline for the first time in 16 years.

Whitmer proposed creating a new unspecified tax credit and better zoning “to put shovels in the dirt and lower costs,” prioritizing housing, competitiveness and literacy.

“We’re all gas and no breakings until noon Jan. 1, 2027,” she said, referring to when Michigan’s new governor will be sworn in.

Whitmer highlighted her legislative wins around what she called the “five F’s” — factories, foundations, financials, fixing the damn roads and freedoms.

Factories

Economic development remained central to Whitmer’s speech, as she touted major manufacturing investments and job creation efforts aimed at keeping Michigan competitive.

Whitmer highlighted how she created thousands of jobs during her nearly two terms as governor, including Michigan being selected for a multi-billion-dollar OpenAI Stargate data center project, built by Oracle and Related Digital, estimated to create more than 2,500 union construction jobs and more than 450 jobs on site.

Ford’s EV battery factory in Marshall is expected to open this year. But after it announced a shift in production to residential batteries from larger, more expensive EV batteries, the 2,500 jobs promised in 2023declined to 1,700.

Foundations

Whitmer pointed to education investments as one of the keys to strengthening Michigan’s long-term future, highlighting increased school funding and new classroom policies.

Education and school aid made up roughly 26% of the state’s total budget, making it the second largest category. The budget included increased per-pupil funding by 5%, with public schools receiving $10,050 per student this school year,up from $9,608 the year before. Lawmakers also allocated $201.6 million for free breakfast and lunch for all public and private schools, a slight increase from the $200 million the Legislature allocated for school lunches the previous year.

Earlier this year, Whitmer signed a law banning smartphones from public school classrooms starting in the fall.

Financials

Whitmer argued that, while global economic uncertainty remains outside the state’s control, Michigan leaders have taken steps to ease financial pressures for residents.

“While I can’t open the Strait of Hormuz, we have helped Michiganders keep more money in their pockets,” she said during her speech.

The Legislature made a deal to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay, and social security for the next three years, included in the state’s budget.

Fix the damn roads

Since taking office, Whitmer has made repairing Michigan’s aging infrastructure a defining promise of her administration

By the time she leaves office, she estimates that over 2,600 lane miles of roads and nearly 2,000 bridges will have been repaired. Lawmakers earlier this year approved roughly $2 billion annuallyto repair state and local roads.

“Bad roads are expensive,” she said. “A bad tire or a busted rim could mean missed work, money diverted from rent or child care, or simply lost profits.”

Freedoms

Whitmer also spoke of reproductive rights and personal freedoms, framing them as both economic and deeply personal issues for Michigan families.

Voters codified abortion rights in the state’s constitution in 2022 after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier that year. The following year, the Legislature expanded the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for LGBTQ residents.

“This is about justice and economicsand anyone who says it’s not probably doesn’t have a uterus,” she said, igniting applause from the crowd.

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