Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gets a tour of the Detroit Auto Show on Jan. 15, 2025 after giving a “Road Ahead Address” | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols
The fates of the auto industry and the state of Michigan are linked, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said during a speech at the Detroit Auto Show Wednesday — and if Michiganders can cross partisan divides and continue the state’s tradition of invention, Michigan will come out on top.
Michigan’s story is an exciting one of innovation and rebirth, Whitmer said. Just as the Detroit Lions have become the country’s favorite team after decades of being a long-suffering franchise, Michigan is the team to root for.
“Michigan is a state on the rise that’s turning dollars into dreamers, and our Lions are winning big too, going from a punching bag to a powerhouse,” Whitmer said in what she dubbed a “Road Ahead Address.” “But there’s always more to do. … As Coach [Dan] Campbell would say, ‘We are built for this.’”
Detroit is the birthplace of the American auto industry and is home to one of the largest auto shows in the world. Before touring some of the vehicles at the auto show, Whitmer outlined the need for Republicans and Democrats to come together in the next year to preserve Michigan’s heritage as the state that put the world on wheels.
The auto industry was a focus for candidates on the 2024 campaign trail, with Vice President Kamala Harris leaning heavily on the United Auto Workers’ support and President-elect Donald Trump promising a revitalization of domestic automakers.
Whitmer, a Democrat, will have to contend with a divided Legislature during the last two years of her term, as Republicans won control of the House while Democrats are still in charge of the Senate. She’s also considered a top 2028 presidential contender.
“This is my seventh year as governor, but I am still guided by the values I first ran on in 2018, the same values I was taught growing up in a bipartisan household,” Whitmer told a crowd at the auto show. “In the Whitmer house, compromise was a good thing. … I just want to get things done, things that make a real difference in Michiganders’ lives, so we can make people’s lives better. And I’ll work with anyone who is serious about solving problems, and I’ll stand up to anyone who gets in our way.”
However, her message of unity appeared to be rebuffed by Senate Republicans and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.), who announced Tuesday he was running to succeed her as governor.
In yet another glitzy speech, Gov. Whitmer will again try to gaslight you into believing our state is on the right track.
But Michiganders know the truth, because they’re living it every day: Gretchen Whitmer has failed Michigan. pic.twitter.com/wwQHt3jKa0
— MI Senate Republicans (@MISenate) January 15, 2025
Whitmer has set a decidedly different tone for collaboration with Trump than during his first administration when the two frequently clashed, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic when Trump sided with right-wing activists protesting her health restrictions.
But Michigan is a purple state, Whitmer noted, adding that just as Michiganders elected Trump, a Republican, to office twice, they also twice elected her, a Democrat, twice.
After an election cycle that put a magnifying glass to everything that divides Michiganders politically, it’s time to focus on that which unites the Great Lakes State, Whitmer said. Just as Michiganders depend on the auto industry — which employs about 1.2 Michiganders, or about one-fifth of the state’s population — the national economy depends on Michigan’s government’s ability to grow the industry and work together in Lansing and federal partners.
“There’s an ongoing global competition to build the future of the auto industry. And make no mistake, other states and nations like China are gunning for Michigan’s auto jobs. For America to win, we must all recognize that all of us are on the same team,” Whitmer said.
With Republicans taking the helm of the state House, Whitmer said she looks forward to working across the aisle with both chambers to come up with policies that help Michiganders with the cost of living, create jobs, invest in repairing roads and move Michigan forward.
“Every one of us swore an oath to the people we serve and the people expect us to find common ground,” Whitmer said. “Now I don’t want to pretend we’re always going to agree, but I will always seek collaboration first. I won’t go looking for fights. I won’t back down from them either. So I’m not here to play games. I’ve got a job to do.”
Whitmer has been in the national spotlight for years, as she was considered for vice president by President Joe Biden in 2020 and co-chaired Harris’ campaign last year. There also was a high-profile kidnapping plot against her in 2020 and several ensuing trials.
However, after her speech, she denied, once again, that she’s considering a presidential run in 2028. Whitmer is termed out of office in 2026.
“I’ve got two years to govern. I know everyone’s going to talk about the mayor’s race or the next governor’s race or the next presidential race. I’m not going to talk about any of those things,” Whitmer told reporters after her speech. “I got a lot of things that I want to get done in the next year, 11 1/2 months and that’s where my focus is going to be the whole time.”
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