Is Gretchen Whitmer Backing Down From 2028?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s roaring start to the 2028 presidential election may already be scaring away potential competitors.

That could be true when it comes to the candidate who possibly looks the best on paper: Gretchen Whitmer. As the center-left governor of a critical swing state who held major roles in the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris campaigns and who has managed to retain strong approval ratings, Whitmer seems to have everything going for her. (RELATED: Whitmer Says America Is Ready for a Female President)

And yet, Michigan’s governor has numerous times in recent months suggested that she may not wage a presidential bid.

Speculation that she may pass on the race kicked off in April when she responded to the question of what she is looking forward to in 2026 by saying, “Retiring.”

This year, her appearances on national news shows have grown few and far between, leading many to conclude that she is stepping away from the limelight. Some also view her decision to prioritize working with President Donald Trump on Michigan’s needs — such as securing a new fighter jet mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base — rather than fighting him at every turn, à la Newsom, as a retreat from a national political future. This term in office, Trump has, in appreciation of her strategy, called her “a very good person” and said she is doing an “excellent job.”