Vice President Kamala Harris is rumored to be considering Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as a potential running mate. A police union leader commented that Whitmer’s record on law enforcement has been largely moderate.
Whitmer, currently in her second gubernatorial term following her ascent in politics, would bring substantial legal experience should she partner with Harris, who is seen as the likely Democratic presidential candidate.
Crime remains a pressing issue in parts of Michigan, with Detroit recently being labeled one of the five most dangerous cities in the nation. She has received backlash for a contentious initiative aiding migrants after an undocumented individual was implicated in the murder of a woman in Grand Rapids.
“Gretchen Whitmer supports Joe Biden’s open border policies by distributing funds to individuals accepting unvetted illegal immigrants, posing a grave risk to our community’s safety,” remarked Tudor Dixon, a Republican contender against Whitmer in the 2022 gubernatorial race, in a previous statement to Fox News Digital.
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is being considered as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Christopher Kierkus, a criminal justice assistant professor at Grand Valley State University, stated Monday that he believes “Governor Whitmer’s administration hasn’t significantly affected crime rates.” He indicated that while her focus has been on gun crime and adjusting safe storage laws, it remains uncertain if these actions will yield positive results.
Kierkus commented, “The data on the efficacy of these measures is not yet available. Personally, I feel they may not have a substantial impact, but that could reflect my personal bias.”
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer campaigns for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during a house gathering in Durham, New Hampshire on July 25, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Mike Sauger, president of the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police, acknowledged that Whitmer has been “supportive concerning funding for officer wellness and training new police recruits.” However, he remarked that most of her tenure has been cautious.
“Michigan, like numerous other states, is experiencing a shortage of qualified police candidates, and there has been insufficient effort towards retention,” Sauger explained. “We have not encountered any legislative measures that are adversarial to police this session, meaning it is hard to gauge how Gov. Whitmer would react if she had to choose a side.”
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President Joe Biden, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow tour the 2022 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on September 14, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
It remains uncertain how Whitmer views her potential role alongside Harris. In a CBS Mornings appearance on Monday, she mentioned she had not been involved in the vetting process thus far.
“Everything is moving quickly, and [Harris] will likely decide within the next week to ten days,” Whitmer stated. “I anticipate we’ll know who her vice presidential pick will be soon, and we’ll prepare for the convention.”
Whitmer reiterated her commitment to her role as the governor of Michigan until 2026. Recently, she expressed to reporters her lack of interest in pursuing any job other than her current role for the next two and a half years, particularly as she signed Michigan’s education budget. However, it remains ambiguous if she might be swayed to step down should she be nominated for vice president.
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivers remarks during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting at the Hilton Midtown on September 19, 2023, in New York City. (John Nacion/WireImage)
Whitmer’s political journey began in 2006 when she won a special election for the state senate, serving there until 2015 and becoming the first female Democratic leader from 2011 to 2015.
She gained national visibility during a 2013 debate on abortion when she spoke about her personal experience with sexual assault on the Michigan state senate floor.
In 2016, she briefly served as Ingham County’s prosecutor and two years later, she became governor after defeating state Attorney General and Republican candidate Bill Schuette.
Whitmer secured her second term in 2022, overcoming Dixon, who is a businesswoman and conservative commentator.
Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is currently in her second term. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)
In July 2022, Whitmer implemented an executive order aimed at curbing crime and gun violence, proclaiming that “as a former prosecutor, public safety is of utmost priority to me.”
“Currently, far too many Michiganders feel unsafe in their neighborhoods due to crime and gun violence,” she stated at that time. “This situation is intolerable – we must put an end to the violence and ensure accountability.”
She also stressed the importance of addressing both crime and gun violence concurrently, linking the two issues, noting that nearly one in three reported violent crimes involved firearms. “That is why I worked to provide law enforcement with the necessary resources in my bipartisan budget.”
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If Whitmer were chosen to partner with Harris on the ticket, both women would share the distinction of having narrowly escaped plots against them.
In October 2020, the FBI reported the arrest of 13 men involved in a domestic terror scheme to kidnap the governor of Michigan, among other violent acts aimed at subverting the state government.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
