Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, one of the country’s highest-profile Democrats, told a local journalist on Thursday that she would not seek the presidency in two years.
“There will be a robust group of people running for president,” Ms. Whitmer told a reporter for Detroit’s WJBK-TV. “I will not be one of them in 2028. I can tell you that.”
Ms. Whitmer cultivated a national following during her two terms leading Michigan, a closely divided swing state where she maintains high approval ratings. She was often listed among the Democrats likeliest to run for president, and she was on Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s shortlist for a running mate in 2020.
During President Trump’s first term, Ms. Whitmer was an outspoken critic of his administration. She gave the Democratic response to his State of the Union speech in 2020 and railed against his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She has taken a different approach since Mr. Trump returned to the White House, visiting the Oval Office and seeking areas of agreement. Though she still issues statements criticizing many of the president’s policies, she has done so in less personal terms than other high-profile Democratic governors.
Ms. Whitmer has argued that her approach has helped Michigan, even as it has drawn criticism from some fellow Democrats.
Mitch Smith is a Chicago-based national correspondent for The Times, covering the Midwest and Great Plains.
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