Gretchen Whitmer

Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American attorney and Democratic politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since January 2019. She previously worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Ingham County from 2005 to 2010 and represented District 23 in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 and the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015, including as Democratic minority leader in the latter body. Whitmer earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Michigan State University in 1993 and a Juris Doctor from the same institution in 1998.

Whitmer was elected governor in 2018, defeating Republican nominee Bill Schuette with 53.3 percent of the vote amid a midterm wave favoring Democrats, and secured re-election in 2022 over Tudor Dixon by a margin of 54.5 to 43.8 percent, achieving the largest victory for a Democrat in a Michigan gubernatorial contest since 1986. Her administration has emphasized infrastructure improvements, including signing legislation for road repairs funded by increased taxes and federal aid, and economic initiatives aimed at job creation in manufacturing and clean energy sectors.