Donors favor ‘Big Gretch’ Whitmer as possible Dem nominee

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is having her name floated by donors looking to oust President Joe Biden from the Democrat ticket.

But the Democrat governor has reportedly made it clear she is not interested in having her name-dropped as a possible replacement for the feeble 81-year-old. Whitmer had a conversation about the issue with Campaign Chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, according to Politico which reported the governor “hated the way her name was being floated as a replacement for Biden and she wasn’t behind the chatter.”

Along with Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Whitmer has had her name bandied about by Democrats desperate for a lifeline after last week’s disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump.

A “Draft Gretch” movement has unfolded with a blast email being sent out with a message from a former House member from Massachusetts.

“How can you not love a Governor who is affectionately called ‘Big Gretch’ by Detroit rappers, a Governor who faced down a kidnap attempt, and passed gun safety legislation in response,” wrote Chet Atkins.

With the election hinging on Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, Atkins contended that “no one knows and understands these voters the way she does.”

“Over the next several weeks, party leaders and the press will be looking to see who has the momentum and the ability to beat Trump,” the former lawmaker-turned-lobbyist wrote. “A massive outpouring of small and large dollar donations to Gretchen Whitmer’s political committee will send a strong and clear message. It will also allow her to be ready on day one when the nomination opens up.”

Whitmer reportedly did not know about the email ahead of time and certainly seemed to want to tamp down any energy it may have sparked among Democrat donors.

In her call with O’Malley Dillon, the governor reportedly “disavowed the Draft Gretch chatter,” as Politico columnist Jonathan Martin noted.

“She used the call to reiterate her commitment and willingness to help the president but also voiced her concern about how much more difficult the campaign would be now for Biden, I’m told by a person familiar with the call,” he wrote, going on to add that Whitmer also added a warning for the Biden campaign.

A person cited as “close to a potential 2028 Whitmer rival for the Democratic presidential nomination” told Politico that the governor’s call was “more of an unambiguous SOS: to relay that Michigan, in the wake of the debate, was no longer winnable for Biden.”

“That such political blade work is already taking place illustrates how badly her rivals want to wound Whitmer, by portraying her as being disloyal to Biden in his hour of need. Yet it also captures what an extraordinary, and extraordinarily precarious, moment this is for the well-stocked bench of Democratic governors who are eager to succeed Biden,” Martin wrote.

Weeks before the presidential debate, MSNBC’s Chuck Todd floated Whitmer’s name on a possible ticket with Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock.

(Video Credit: Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV)

“There are a lot of people who believe that a Whitmer-Warnock ticket would be a stronger ticket for Democrats right now,” he told WDIV-TV news anchor Devin Scillian at the annual Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference in May.

“Then again, they could have chosen two random names and they would have higher approval ratings than Biden-Harris,” quipped filmmaker and comedian Eric Abbenante.

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.