Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says willingness to take a 'few punches' makes an effective leader

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) — Democrat Gretchen Whitmer touted her accomplishments as Michigan's governor in a speech Thursday as she passes the midpoint of her second term and is continuously floated as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.

Whitmer, who has been criticized by some Democrats for taking a friendlier tone with President Donald Trump than in his last term, suggested her willingness to work with others to get things done is what has made her an effective leader for the battleground state, which Trump won last fall and in 2016.

In the past month, Whitmer notched a successful deal with the Trump administration to secure new fighter jets and jobs at an air force base, and Trump assured Midwest leaders that he will fund a project to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp.

There also were some awkward moments alongside Trump, scorn from those who would like Whitmer to more vehemently oppose the Republican president and disagreement among top Democrats about how best to approach him.

Whitmer appeared with Trump, sharing a surprising embrace. The president praised her as doing an “excellent job” — a departure from his criticism of her during his first term. Whitmer also had an awkward encounter with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this year, something Whitmer made light of during her address by jokingly holding a binder in front of her face, emulating a photo taken that day in April.

“And that’s why I don’t care much about headlines. What I care about is making headway,” she said in an address given to Michigan’s political elites and business leaders at a policy conference.

“Over the past six and a half years, I have found that leadership is about fighting hard, often quietly, for your big goals,” she said. “Your tolerance for taking a few punches to win the fight.”

Whitmer is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. A broad array of candidates have lined up since January to replace her. In interviews with The Associated Press, each Democrat in the race lauded Whitmer's leadership in the course of the second Trump administration: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

Mike Duggan, the longtime Democratic mayor of Detroit who is running for governor as an independent, had praise for Whitmer’s bipartisanship this year in a speech at the policy conference that denounced partisan politics.

“I think the governor has shown us how to do it,” he told The Associated Press after his speech Wednesday night. “She’s disagreeing on the Canadian tariffs. And she’s right. The Canadian tariffs certainly hurt Michigan, but she’s disagreeing on a policy standpoint. She’s not doing personal attacks.”

About half of Michigan voters in the 2024 election had a “somewhat” or “very” favorable opinion of Whitmer, according to AP VoteCast, while just under half viewed her unfavorably.

Her speech comes a day after Trump said he is looking into pardoning two men who were convicted of leading a plot to kidnap and kill Whitmer in 2020 and are currently serving prison sentences. Whitmer wrote extensively about the experience in her political memoir that came out last year and blamed Trump for stoking the political hatred that motivated the scheme.

During a moderated session Thursday, Whitmer said she was disappointed in the news and hinted toward greater anger over it. She decried political violence, and she said she plans to talk to Trump about the matter.

“We have an ongoing dialogue now ... very different from the first term,” she said about Trump, turning to smile at the audience.

Whitmer said in her final 19 months as governor, she is looking to close a deal on road funding and improve Michigan's dismal literacy scores.

Race to succeed Whitmer has started

The race to succeed Whitmer is closely tied to the same topics. Duggan laid out a plan to improve education Wednesday. Republican Senate minority leader Aaric Nesbitt, who is running for governor in 2026, criticized Whitmer for not making further improvements on either front during the six years she has been governor and said she has driven businesses out of the state by making Michigan less competitive.

“It’s missed opportunities,” he said about her legacy in an interview.

Other Republicans jockeying to replace Whitmer are U.S. Rep. John James and former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox.

Whitmer is one of several Democratic governors who are looked to as potential candidates for the presidency in 2028. Alongside California's Gavin Newsom, Illinois' JB Pritzker and Kentucky's Andy Beshear, each interaction with Trump has been scrutinized as the Democratic Party looks for a new leader.