Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer doesn’t intend to compete with Vice President Kamala Harris and run for the the Democratic presidential nomination, said a person with knowledge of the matter.
Whitmer plans to let either Harris or another Democrat take the lead and run against Republican nominee Donald Trump, said the person, who asked not to be named because the discussions were private. Whitmer is said to view the situation as complex and not an ideal time to make a bid following President Joe Biden’s decision on Sunday to drop out of the race.
A spokeswoman for Whitmer didn’t directly respond to questions. Instead she replied by sending the governor’s post on social media, which praised Biden without mentioning Harris.
California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom is also preparing to stand down, CBS News reported, citing people familiar. Newsom posted on X that Biden will “go down in history as one of the most impactful and selfless presidents,” but his statement also didn’t mention Harris.
By contrast, Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro posted on X his support for the vice president, who he says he’s known for almost two decades and noting that they’ve both been prosecutors. All three governors have been touted as possible presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Whitmer has been governor of Michigan, a swing state, since 2019. She has backed Biden since his disastrous presidential debate, but in the aftermath warned the White House that Michigan could be tough to win in November.
Michigan pollster EPIC/MRA released a poll Sunday showing that Biden is losing ground to Trump. The most recent poll gave Trump a lead with 49% to Biden’s 42%. Biden trailed 41% to 38% in June.