Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pushed back Sunday on comments made by former first lady Michelle Obama last year that U.S. voters aren’t ready to elect a female president.
“Listen, I have got a lot of colleagues who I think are probably interested in running for president, and I’ve heard everyone say, ‘You can’t have this person or that person,’” the governor told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“I would put my money on any Democratic governor in the country against [Vice President] JD Vance or [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio in 2028,” she added, pointing to two Republicans widely expected to run for president in two years.
Asked directly whether a woman could be the best choice to beat a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2028, Whitmer simply said, “I do.”
In 2025, Obama said in public remarks: “As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready. That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not.”
Several women, including Whitmer and former Vice President Kamala Harris, are widely speculated to be potential candidates in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.
On Sunday, Whitmer did not deny that she’s exploring a potential run for president in 2028, saying that she’ll decide on her next steps after she departs from her post as governor in January.
“When I exit office … I’m going to take a little time off and figure out what I want to do next, so I’ve got nothing new to share with you, unfortunately,” Whitmer told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.
Earlier this year, Whitmer denied that she planned to run for president but quickly walked back the comments.
“There will be a robust group of people running for president,” she said at the time, adding, “I will not be one of them in 2028, I can tell you that.”
Later the same day, the governor said: “I never thought I would run for governor. So I guess I should know better to never say never.”
Several other Democratic governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, are also widely regarded as potential 2028 presidential candidates. Each has been crisscrossing the country ahead of the midterms campaigning on behalf of Democratic gubernatorial candidates in competitive races.
Whitmer on Sunday highlighted her support for former public health official Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor in Ohio.
Earlier this week, Acton’s opponent, GOP businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, released a TV ad featuring Acton’s mother calling her a “liar.” Acton has publicly shared that she’s been estranged from her mother for nearly 50 years and has accused her late stepfather of sexually abusing her. Acton and her brother were removed from her mother’s custody in 1978 after her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested on a child rape charge. Acton’s mother has not responded to requests for comment.
“I’m going to stay focused on getting people like Amy Acton over the finish line. What’s happened to her in Ohio is absolutely abhorrent, and any survivor knows there’s always a backlash. But this is what makes it harder for women to seek help after they’ve been sexually assaulted in this country,” Whitmer said on Sunday. “It is unreal what’s going on, and that’s why we’ve got to — we’ve got to win races like this and elect good people who are going to keep the people at the heart of their work, like Dr. Amy Acton.”
Ramaswamy’s decision to air the ad has faced widespread bipartisan condemnation, including from Ohio GOP Sen. Jon Husted, who is locked in a tight re-election race.