Whitmer Downplays 2028 White House Bid in Toronto Remarks

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she expects to help her party in 2028 but signaled she may not be the nominee, telling a Toronto audience, “I anticipate helping, but I don’t know if I’m going to be the person.” Whitmer, a Democrat in the final two years of her second term, is term-limited and cannot seek the governorship again when her term ends on Jan. 1, 2027. She has met repeatedly with Trump administration officials, including in the Oval Office, and says she is using that access to press them to “undo this tariff madness.” Arguing that U.S. tariffs on Canada are hurting Michigan’s auto supply chain, Whitmer called it “a dire moment in manufacturing” and warned of ripple effects for jobs, prices and savings. Her engagement with the White House has drawn mixed reactions among Democrats, as she also contends with state challenges including a one-week stopgap budget and a deadly church attack.