Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Gretchen Whitmer was inaugurated as the 49th governor of Michigan on January 1, 2019. Her career includes serving in the Michigan State House, as the first woman Senate Democratic Leader, and prosecutor for Ingham County, fighting for survivors’ rights and to reform how sexual assault cases are handled. Inspired by her service and family, she is dedicated to improving the lives of all Michiganders.

Gov. Whitmer has been a lifelong resident of Michigan, receiving both a BA and JD from Michigan State University. Prior to serving as governor, she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, and later the Michigan Senate. As the Senate Democratic leader, she worked across the aisle to pass Medicaid expansion into law, which now provides affordable health care to more than 750,000 Michiganders. Throughout her career, Gov. Whitmer has worked to ensure that every resident has a great public education, clean drinking water, access to good roads and good-paying jobs.

Accomplishments

During her tenure, Gov. Whitmer passed a bipartisan budget that closed a $2.2 billion budget deficit that actually increased funding for public education, and she got it done without raising taxes. In her first year in office, Gov. Whitmer worked across the aisle to sign historic auto insurance reform legislation into law, which will protect car accident victims and lower average car insurance rates for Michigan drivers. The governor has also taken bold action to fix Michigan’s crumbling roads through her $3.5 billion Rebuilding Michigan bond plan, which will add 122 major road repair projects to state roads over the next five years without raising taxes.

Gov. Whitmer lives in Lansing with her husband, Marc, their two daughters, and their dogs Kevin and Doug.