DETROIT — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is reportedly not interested in taking the No. 2 spot on the Democratic nomination ballot this fall, a decision that she attributes to her record and calculations about how winnable the 2024 election might be.
After President Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday, a consensus was formed that Vice President Kamala Harris would run as the Democratic nominee in November. Neither Whitmer nor Harris’ home state governor, Gavin Newsom, have reportedly had any interest in being Biden’s running mate.
Whitmer faced a similar situation in Michigan’s 2014 gubernatorial election.
Ms. Whitmer was a state senator when Republican Gov. Rick Snyder signed a law making Michigan a right-to-work state in 2012. His decision to free autoworkers from the United Auto Workers union and teachers from that union made Mr. Snyder a hated figure among Democrats.
But when it came to the 2014 race, no Democratic challenger was attractive. Finally, former Rep. Mark Schauer volunteered to run against the incumbent. Whitmer did not go along with Schauer.
When I asked her about the choice after the gubernatorial debate in Detroit, Whitmer said she had confidence in Schauer. Schauer lost in November, and four years later, Whitmer won in 2018, coming out on top of the field.
Whitmer has never lost an election, and Detroit-based Democratic political consultant Mario Morrow said she was approaching the vice presidency “strategically.”
“If she decides she can’t even be the vice presidential nominee, then she’s looking at this strategically,” Morrow told the Post. “What are the chances that we’ll have two women on the Democratic nomination?”
Morrow added, “If she decides not to pursue it, she’s counting the palms of her hands.”
An update on President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race:
Michigan is a battleground state, but Democrats need a candidate who complements Harris, Morrow said.
“Having two women candidates does not create balance,” Morrow said. “We still live in a very polarized environment, both racially and gender-wise.”
If Harris wins, she is likely to run again in 2028.
Morrow said if that were to happen, Whitmer would likely take a Cabinet post to stay fresh and relevant.
Whitmer, who is co-chair of the Biden campaign, spent much of July on a book tour for her memoir, “True Gretch.”
On July 4, Biden invited California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has been floated as a possible successor to the president for months, to speak at a fundraiser in western Michigan instead of Whitmer.
After Biden dropped out of the race, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, one of the campaign’s co-chairs, I cried about it on national TV.
“Joe Biden is based on faith, family and our state,” Coons told CBS News.
Then, with tears welling up in his eyes, Koons said, “I’m sorry,” cleared his throat, apologised again and regained his composure.
“This was a difficult decision and one that reflects the best of Joe Biden,” Coons said.
Governor Whitmer released a statement, but without shedding any tears.
“President Biden is a great public servant who knows better than anyone what it takes to defeat Donald Trump. History will remember the great job he’s done to lower prescription drug costs, fix our terrible roads, bring supply chains back home, address climate change and ensure decades of American global leadership. My job in this election remains the same: to elect Democrats and do all I can to stop Donald Trump, a convicted felon whose agenda will raise costs for families, ban abortion across the country and abuse the power of the White House to settle scores for himself.” she tweeted.
What you need to know about President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race:
Earlier in the weekend, Gov. Whitmer released a video of Republican candidates appearing in Grand Rapids on Saturday, including a rally that included former President Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in their first public appearance since the Republican National Convention.
Governor Whitmer issued a statement when the candidate for whose campaign she serves as co-chair retired after 50 years in politics.
After the announcement, Whitmer did not appear on television to promote Biden’s accomplishments — that role was given to Coons.
