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.

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. Whitmer has served as one of the vice chairs of the Democratic National Committee from 2021 to 2025, and was reelected as governor in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.

#### 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.

### 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 currently lives in East Lansing.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Gretchen Whitmer
- **image**: 2025 Gretchen Whitmer (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Whitmer in 2025
- **order**: 49th Governor of Michigan
- **lieutenant**: Garlin Gilchrist
- **term start**: January 1, 2019
- **predecessor**: Rick Snyder
- **office1**: Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee
- **1blankname1**: Chair
- **1namedata1**: Jaime Harrison
- **term start1**: January 21, 2021
- **term end1**: February 1, 2025
- **predecessor1**: Grace Meng
- **successor1**: _Various_
- **office2**: Prosecuting Attorney of Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County
- **term start2**: July 21, 2016
- **term end2**: December 31, 2016
- **predecessor2**: Stuart Dunnings III
- **successor2**: Carol Siemon
- **office3**: Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate
- **deputy3**: Steve Bieda
- **term start3**: January 1, 2011
- **term end3**: January 1, 2015
- **predecessor3**: Mike Prusi
- **successor3**: Jim Ananich
- **state senate4**: Michigan
- **district4**: Michigan's 23rd Senate district, 23rd
- **term start4**: March 21, 2006
- **term end4**: January 1, 2015
- **predecessor4**: Virgil Bernero
- **successor4**: Curtis Hertel Jr.
- **office5**: Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
- **term start5**: January 1, 2003
- **term end5**: March 21, 2006
- **predecessor5**: Michael C. Murphy (Michigan politician), Michael C. Murphy
- **successor5**: Mark Meadows (Michigan politician), Mark Meadows
- **constituency5**: Michigan's 69th House of Representatives district, 69th district
- **term start6**: January 1, 2001
- **term end6**: January 1, 2003
- **predecessor6**: Laura Baird
- **successor6**: Judy Emmons
- **constituency6**: Michigan's 70th House of Representatives district, 70th district
- **office7**: Chair of the East Lansing Transportation Commission
- **term start7**: 1999
- **term end7**: 2000
- **nickname**: Big Gretch
- **birth name**: Gretchen Esther Whitmer
- **birth place**: Lansing, Michigan, Lansing, Michigan, United States, U.S.
- **party**: Democratic Party (United States), Democratic
- **children**: 2
- **education**: Michigan State University (Bachelor of Arts, BA, Juris Doctor, JD)
- **signature**: Whitmersig.svg