Gretchen Whitmer
| Gretchen Whitmer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ingham County Prosecutor | |
|
Assumed office July 2, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Stuart Dunnings III |
| Member of the Michigan Senate from the 23rd district | |
|
In office March 21, 2006 – January 1, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Virg Bernero |
| Succeeded by | Curtis Hertel Jr. |
| Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate | |
|
In office January 12, 2011 – January 1, 2015 | |
| Deputy | Steve Bieda |
| Preceded by | Michael Prusi |
| Succeeded by | Jim Ananich |
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 69th district | |
|
In office January 1, 2003 – March 16, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Mark Meadows |
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 70th district | |
|
In office January 1, 2001 – January 1, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Laura Baird |
| Succeeded by | Judy Emmons |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 23, 1971 Lansing, Michigan |
| Political party | Democratic |
Gretchen Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is a former Democratic member of the Michigan Senate and Senate Democratic Leader. She represented the 23rd District following a special election in March 2006 to replace Virg Bernero, who was elected mayor of Lansing the previous November. Whitmer was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006.[1][2] On November 5, 2010, her Democratic colleagues chose Whitmer to be the Senate Democratic Leader. In May 2016, she was selected to serve as the interim Ingham County Prosecutor, to replace Stuart Dunnings III, who announced his intentions to resign effective July 2, 2016, after he was arrested on prostitution charges.
Political career
Whitmer was first elected to the State Senate in March 2006 after serving as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006. In the Senate she served on the following committees: Government Operations (ranking Democrat), Legislative Council and the Senate Fiscal Agency Board of Governors. As a State Representative, Whitmer served for four years as the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
On November 5, 2010, her Democratic colleagues chose Whitmer to be the Senate Democratic Leader.
Ingham County Prosecutor
It was announced on May 11, 2016, that the judges of Michigan's 30th Judicial Circuit Court had unanimously selected Whitmer to serve the remaining six months of the term of outgoing Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III.[3] Dunnings was arrested March 14, 2016, and charged with 11 counts of involvement with a prostitute and four counts of willful neglect of duty.[4] In a letter dated March 29, 2016, Dunnings announced he would resign effective July 2.[5] Whitmer's term expires on January 1, 2017 and missed Michigan's deadline to seek a full term on the August primary ballot.
Whitmer was administered the oath of office as prosecutor by Ingham County Circuit Court Chief Judge Janelle Lawless in a ceremony on June 21, 2016, and said her top priorities in her six months would be to determine if any other officials in the prosecutor's office knew about Dunnings' alleged crimes and to change how the office handles domestic violence and sexual assault cases.[6]
Following taking office, Whitmer issued an 11-page report on July 22, 2016, on whether Dunnings alleged criminal activity affected cases handled by the office. The report concluded that employees "were never asked to compromise a case or look the other way" and that she had "...full confidence that any problem that had existed in this office, left with Mr. Dunnings."[7][8]
Statewide Political Aspirations
Whitmer has long been considered a candidate for statewide office. In October 2009 she filed paperwork to run for the position of Michigan Attorney General,[9] to succeed term-limited incumbent Republican Mike Cox, but she suspended her campaign in January 2010, citing family concerns and was instead re-elected to the state Senate in November 2010.[10]
In 2013, facing being term-limited from the Michigan Senate, Whitmer was considered a top contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder. In January 2013, Whitmer announced she would not run for governor.[11]
In May 2016, following a return to private practice after leaving the statewide and after being tabbed for the six-month appointment as Ingham County Prosecutor, she announced she was considering to run for governor of Michigan in 2018 to succeed Snyder, who will be term-limited.[12]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gretchen Whitmer (Incumbent) | 49,974 | 64.0 | -5.8 | |
| Republican | Kyle Haubrich | 28,127 | 36.0 | +5.8 | |
| Majority | 21,847 | 28.0 | -11.6 | ||
| Turnout | 78,101 | 100 | -15.4 | ||
| Democratic hold | Swing | -5.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gretchen Whitmer (Incumbent) | 64,404 | 69.8 | +16.4 | |
| Republican | Frank Lambert | 27,931 | 30.2 | +16.4 | |
| Majority | 36,473 | 39.5 | +32.8 | ||
| Turnout | 92,335 | 100 | +11.6 | ||
| Democratic hold | Swing | +16.4 | |||
References
- ↑ Michigan Legislative Service Bureau (2006). Michigan Manual 2005-2006. Lansing, MI: Legislative Council, State of Michigan. p. 129. ISBN 1-878210-06-8. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
- ↑ Michigan Senate Democrats (2007). "Michigan Senate Democrats: About Gretchen Whitmer". Archived from the original on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
- ↑ Justin A. Hicks (May 11, 2016). "Whitmer chosen for interim Ingham County prosecutor". Lansing State Journal.
- ↑ Emily Lawler (March 14, 2016). "Ingham County Prosecutor allegedly engaged prostitutes 'hundreds of times'". MLive Media Group. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ Benjamin Raven (March 29, 2016). "Stuart Dunnings informs Ingham County he is resigning as prosecutor". Jackson Citizen Patriot. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ Matt Mencarini and Justin A. Hinkley (June 22, 2016). "Whitmer 'looking forward' to starting as prosecutor". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ↑ Justin A. Hinkley (July 22, 2016). "Cases unaffected by Dunnings' alleged crimes, Whitmer says". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ Gretchen Whitmer, Ingham County Prosecutor (July 22, 2016). "Report on the Status of the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office" (PDF). Ingham County Prosecutor's Office. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ Scott Davis (October 11, 2009). "Whitmer files papers to run for attorney general". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
- ↑ Chris Christoff (January 20, 2010). "Sen. Whitmer to leave AG race". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
- ↑ Jonathan Oosting (January 30, 2013). "Michigan Democrats disappointed that Gretchen Whitmer will not run for governor, still optimistic for strong candidates in 2014". MLive.com. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ↑ Lauren Gibbons (May 28, 2016). "Democrat Gretchen Whitmer 'seriously looking' at run for Michigan governor". MLive.