Gretchen Whitmer

Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. Before becoming governor, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 and in the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015.

Gretchen Whitmer
Whitmer in 2023
49th Governor of Michigan
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2019
Lieutenant	Garlin Gilchrist
Preceded by	Rick Snyder
Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 21, 2021 Serving with Tammy Duckworth, Ken Martin, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Christine Pelosi
Chair	Jaime Harrison
Preceded by	Grace Meng
Prosecuting Attorney of Ingham County
In office July 21, 2016 – December 31, 2016
Preceded by	Stuart Dunnings III
Succeeded by	Carol Siemon
Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate
In office January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2015
Deputy	Steve Bieda
Preceded by	Mike Prusi
Succeeded by	Jim Ananich
Member of the Michigan Senate from the 23rd district
In office March 21, 2006 – January 1, 2015
Preceded by	Virgil Bernero
Succeeded by	Curtis Hertel Jr.
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
In office January 1, 2003 – March 21, 2006
Preceded by	Michael C. Murphy
Succeeded by	Mark Meadows
Constituency	69th district
In office January 1, 2001 – January 1, 2003
Preceded by	Laura Baird
Succeeded by	Judy Emmons
Constituency	70th district
Chair of the East Lansing Transportation Commission
In office 1999–2000
Personal details
Born	Gretchen Esther Whitmer (1971-08-23) August 23, 1971 Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Gary Shrewsbury ​ (divorced)​ Marc Mallory ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	2
Education	Michigan State University (BA, JD)
Signature
Nickname(s)	Big Gretch

Whitmer was born and raised in Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in communication in 1993 and a Juris Doctor degree in 1998. Her political career began in 2000 when she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives. In 2006, she won a special election to the state senate and became its first female Democratic leader from 2011 to 2015.

In 2013, Whitmer gained national attention for a floor speech during a debate on abortion and she shared her experience of being sexually assaulted. For six months in 2016, she was the prosecutor for Ingham County. Whitmer was elected governor in 2018, defeating Republican nominee Bill Schuette.

Whitmer has identified herself as a progressive. As governor, she has focused on healthcare and infrastructure legislation. In February 2020, she was selected to give the Democratic response to then President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address. In October 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation thwarted a far-right militia group's kidnapping plot against Whitmer. Since January 2021, Whitmer has served as one of the vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee. She was reelected as governor in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.

Political career

Michigan Legislature

Michigan House of Representatives

Whitmer began her political career in 2001, when she was inaugurated to the Michigan House of Representatives. She served there until March 16, 2006. Five days later, she joined the Michigan Senate.

Michigan Senate

Whitmer was inaugurated to the Michigan Senate on March 21, 2006, five days after leaving the Michigan House. She would continue serving through 2014. She spent the last four years in the Michigan Senate as Minority Leader.

Ingham County Prosecutor

After the resignation of Stuart Dunnings III as the result of a scandal, Whitmer was unanimously chosen as his successor in the position of Prosecutor of Ingham County. She served their through the second half of 2016.

Governor of Michigan

She was elected governor in 2018. She described herself as progressive, and has worked with progressive leaders in Michigan as governor.

On October 8, 2020, the FBI arrested 13 people for attempting to kidnap her and overthrow the state government. The suspects were tied to a far-right militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen.

Personal life

Early life

Gretchen Esther Whitmer was born on August 23, 1971, in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan.

Whitmer married Gary Shrewsbery, with whom she had two children, before their divorce. In 2011, she married dentist Marc Mallory, who had 3 sons in his previous marriage. The family currenty lives in East Lansing.