Why not Whitmer?
Although Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy is just a week old, the conventional wisdom congealed almost instantly that the vice president will pick a male running mate.
And if some reports from over the weekend are correct, Harris has indeed narrowed the field to three men: U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — who President Joe Biden considered for VP four years ago — has reportedly been on Harris’ list, but says she’s not interested (although, come on, who’s going to turn that offer down?) But Whitmer has been considered a longshot because of the perceived risks of an all-female ticket.
That calculation shows a lack of imagination, however, and misreads both the political moment and Whitmer’s unique strengths that I’ve seen up close and personal in the 20 years I’ve been covering her since her days in the Michigan House
Just after Whitmer’s first inauguration in 2019, I wrote a column that was mocked by some Republicans and leftists alike: “Gretchen Whitmer will be a national star, whether you like it or not.” (In the years since, I’ve had folks hailing from both groups admit to me, however grudgingly, that I called it right).
Over the years, I’ve reported on a lot of memorable moments involving Whitmer.
There was the time that she, as Senate minority leader, organized a performance of “The Vagina Monologues” on the state Capitol lawn in 2012 — which was attended by the playwright, V — after two female lawmakers were silenced during an abortion bill debate for saying the words “vagina” and “vasectomy.” (The male GOP House speaker found it unladylike).
Later that year, Whitmer helped lead the unsuccessful fight against Right to Work and spoke during a protest that drew more than 10,000 people. (Last year, as governor, things came full circle when she signed the bills repealing the anti-union policy).
Then in 2013, Whitmer gave an emotional speech on the Senate floor disclosing for the first time that she was a rape survivor during a debate on a bill that barred insurance companies from covering abortion without a special rider, which she called “rape insurance.” (Whitmer signed legislation in 2023 repealing that measure, too).
When she ran for governor in 2018, a lot of Democratic poobahs whispered she couldn’t win after Hillary Clinton was bested by Donald Trump two years earlier and they desperately tried to find someone (i.e. a white guy) to run against her. At the same time, Bernie Sanders loyalists and national podcasters were swooning over one of her opponents, political novice Abdul El-Sayed, while basically dismissing Whitmer as the mom jeans candidate. And a third contender, now-U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, was busy shelling out more than $10 million of his personal fortune.
But after serving 14 years in the Legislature — and never losing a race — Whitmer knew how to outwork them. She went on to win an outright majority in the Democratic primary, as well as every Michigan county, before wiping the floor with her GOP opponent that fall.
I knew from reporting on all those stories — and many more — that Whitmer was a political talent, but here’s the moment that I knew she’d be on the national stage.
It was a frigid Saturday in January 2019, a few weeks after Whitmer took office. She had scheduled a meet-and-greet at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and 2,500 people turned out to see her, something I’d never seen in Michigan outside of late campaign events. And at an earlier event in Flint, the governor actually canceled her speech because people just wanted to talk and snap selfies with her.
It’s hard to define exactly what true star power is in politics, but you know it when you see it. And Gretchen Whitmer has it in spades.
Since then, she’s only become more well-known.
She landed on Biden’s VP shortlist, became Trump’s top target during the pandemic, made the international news for being the subject of a foiled, far-right assassination plot, became the Democrats’ leading voice on abortion rights, won reelection by double digits, marshaled a progressive agenda through a Legislature with the slimmest of Democratic majorities and hit the national talk show circuit for her new book. (And that’s just the highlights).
There’s a reason why Whitmer topped many pundits’ lists for 2028 contenders — and why more than a few longed for her to step in for Biden before he withdrew (although that analysis lacked an understanding of Democratic Party dynamics and campaign finance law).
Whitmer knows policy, delivers a fiery stump speech, gives an entertaining interview and is a quick-witted debater — all good qualities for a running mate.
She’s also a very good listener, which is one reason why she’s still mobbed at public events to this day. It doesn’t hurt that she seems approachable — and fun. That’s why her opponents have a hard time making attacks stick. While Republicans have tried to paint her as some sort of socialist antichrist, Whitmer still comes off as a mom you could crack jokes with during a long PTA meeting.
Of course, no politician is perfect. She lacks foreign policy experience, having spent her entire career in state government. She also can bend too much to public opinion, like when she ended state COVID policies in 2021 and left mitigation efforts up to locals governments and schools (who also got the blame).
Whitmer also genuinely hates going negative on her adversaries. During the 2022 election, her GOP opponent was a former right-wing talk show host who accused her of “ terrorizing” the state during the pandemic, ridiculed her over the assassination plot against her and blamed her for a school shooting. Whitmer declined to break out the hatchet (that’s what ads are for), instead unloading a quip or two before pivoting back to her agenda.
While Whitmer might not relish going for the jugular, that’s the traditional role of a running mate. And Harris is running a much more aggressive campaign than Biden (a press release last week on Trump described him as “a 78-year-old convicted felon” and “old and quite weird?”) So she may be looking for a brawler in her No. 2, especially during a debate with the endlessly mockable U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) (if you don’t know what I mean, just Google his name with couches or dolphins).
Of course, the biggest negative most political observers point to is Whitmer’s gender. The United States has never elected a woman president, unlike most of the developed world. And after Clinton’s unexpected loss eight years ago, why would Democrats push it by running an unheard-of all-female ticket?
The golden rule of picking a VP is first do no harm. But ideally, that person provides a boost with key voting blocs or states. With Whitmer on the ticket, the “Blue Wall” states — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — should be in the bag. She’s popular at home and has a real track record of results over the last six years, even during divided government.
Plus, she has a killer Michigan accent (seriously, it sounds like a Bell’s Two-Hearted IPA wrapped inside a pasty) that can make even the driest policy sound folksy. And her homespun delivery would be a sharp contrast to Vance’s Yale-bred condescension.
It's been more than two years since the right-wing Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which has been an earthquake in electoral politics. Who better than to protect our basic rights and freedoms than two women who intimately understand what the stakes are?
– Susan J. Demas
As for the woman question, too many people are busy fighting the last political war and miss what’s right in front of them.
This is not the world of 2016. Women now know what a Donald Trump presidency is truly like with its near-endless misogyny.
It’s also been more than two years since the right-wing Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which has been an earthquake in electoral politics. Who better than to protect our basic rights and freedoms than two women who intimately understand what the stakes are?
And by the way, back in 2018, Democrats heard all about the perils of an all-female ticket with Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist was added later). That turned out pretty well for the party. The positive working relationship of “those women from Michigan” (a nickname they gave themselves after Trump blasted them all on Twitter) is also a nice counterpoint to outdated, catfighty stereotypes that are still splashed over reality TV.
Seeing that dynamic on a presidential ticket could be a game-changer.
In 1992, Bill Clinton and Al Gore tossing the football around in between campaign stops looked a lot more enjoyable than President George H.W. Bush’s stiff events. I don’t know if we’d see Harris and Whitmer share some laughs over a pitcher of margaritas, but that sounds like it would be a pretty good time.
Harris’ irreverent, brat-inspired campaign has managed to shift the vibes of the race overnight, bringing in $200 million in less than a week and 170,000 new volunteers. I think that speaks to the fact that after nearly a decade of Trump’s tirades and a long pandemic, people are tired of politics feeling like drudgery. They want it to be fun; they want to be part of something uplifting, like Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.
Look, I don’t know who Harris will pick as her VP and I can’t tell you who the best choice is. But I do think ruling out an all-female ticket would be a mistake.
On the day of the 2020 Michigan primary, Whitmer and I talked about Biden’s last rally in Detroit, where she looked exhilarated while trotting into the gym, making the rounds through the crowd and doling out high-fives. I remember her telling me that people need more joy and excitement in campaigns.
I think that’s even truer today.
Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas for questions: info@michiganadvance.com. Follow Michigan Advance on Facebook and X.