MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, one of the country’s highest-profile Democrats, told a local journalist Thursday that she would not seek the presidency in two years.

“There will be a robust group of people running for president,” Whitmer told a reporter for Detroit’s WJBK-TV. “I will not be one of them in 2028. I can tell you that.”

Whitmer cultivated a national following during her two terms leading Michigan, a closely divided swing state where she maintains high approval ratings. She was often listed among the Democrats likeliest to run for president.

During President Donald Trump’s first term, Whitmer was often an outspoken critic of his administration. She gave the Democratic response to his State of the Union speech in 2020 and railed against his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She has taken a different approach since Trump returned to the White House, visiting the Oval Office and seeking areas of agreement. Though she still issues statements criticizing many of the president’s policies, she has done so in less personal terms than other high-profile Democratic governors.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Mitch Smith/Nick Hagen
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