MACKINAC ISLAND ― Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer offered a message of unity and said as she prepares to depart office at the end of the year, leaders in Michigan have a choice to try and find common ground to work toward solutions or to let partisan divides stand in the way of accomplishing meaningful goals.
“We can each do our part to bridge divides, lower the temperature and to always, always, always, put Michigan first. We know that big achievements require collaboration,” Whitmer said Thursday, May 28, during a keynote address at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference.
Whitmer is term-limited by Michigan law and cannot run again for governor. During the address, she touted bipartisan accomplishments like Medicaid expansion, slashing taxes on tips and legislation she signed May 27 paving the way for improvements at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
“We can disagree vehemently at times and still find common ground,” she said.
The road ahead
As for the rest of her term, which ends at the beginning of 2027, she expressed concern about Chinese autos, strained US-Canada relations and tariffs, saying of her work in Michigan, “It’s all gas and no breaks.”
Although Whitmer has not been as vocally critical of President Donald Trump during his second term in the White House, she’s frequently voiced concern about his use of tariffs. She also said the ongoing U.S. war in Iran has led to Michiganders facing higher prices, especially at the pump.
“Tariff policy and rhetoric motivated Canada to cut a deal with China to drop their automotive tariffs down from 100% to 6%,” she noted. “The Iran war has skyrocketed gas prices, grocery prices, the cost of fertilizer and electricity bills.”
She continued to call for bipartisan solutions, including on literacy. With reading levels slipping in Michigan, Whitmer said she signed an executive order creating the Every Child Reads Champions Council, a group intended to ensure the state is working on literacy solutions across different administrations.
And notably, Whitmer reiterated her desire to have a budget deal in place with legislative leaders by July 1. Last year, lawmakers didn’t reach a budget agreement until early October, only avoiding a government shutdown after passing a short-term continuation budget.
Leaving the door open?
Interviewed onstage by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan CEO Tricia Keith after her speech, Whitmer attempted to clarify a statement she gave to WJBK-TV (Fox 2 Detroit) earlier May 28 saying she would not be a candidate for president in 2028. Onstage, Whitmer said she needed to “correct the record on a couple fronts,” saying she was asked about 2028 and said she wasn’t making plans. But, she said, “I never thought I’d run for governor so I guess I should know better to say never say never.”
Free Press Politics Editor Emily Lawler contributed to this report.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: ‘We can each do our part’ Whitmer pitches unity in final Mackinac keynote
Reporting by Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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