Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won a second four-year term in Tuesday’s election, defeating Republican challenger Tudor Dixon in the battleground state where abortion had become a key issue.
Whitmer was first elected in 2018 after years in the Legislature and has since become a leading voice in the Democratic Party, delivering the party’s response to former President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in 2020. She has said in interviews that she will not run for president in 2024 even if President Joe Biden doesn’t seek reelection.
Whitmer led a statewide ticket of Democrats that centered their campaigns on abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Whitmer filed multiple lawsuits in state courts to block a 1931 law banning abortion from taking effect.
Speaking to supporters in Detroit early Wednesday morning, Whitmer said “the prospect of leading this state for four more years is a privilege which we are incredibly grateful and excited about.”