Election Results with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

We talk with the governor about the next chapter in American politics.

We’re joined by Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan to talk about this week’s election results, her work in Michigan, our current political moment, and her beloved Detroit Lions.

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Episode Resources

Governor Gretchen Whitmer

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Episode Transcript

Sarah [00:00:08] This is Sarah Stewart Holland.

Beth [00:00:10] This is Beth Silvers.

Sarah [00:00:11] You’re listening to Pantsuit Politics. We are so thrilled to be processing the election results today with none other than big Gretch herself, governor of the great state of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. We’ll talk about the big wins in Virginia and New Jersey and the ever expanding group text between Democratic female governors. And she’s also joining us for Outside of Politics, where we have opened the floor for her to discuss the Detroit Lions.

Beth [00:00:38] Before we share that conversation with Governor Whitmer, we want to tell you about Good Morning, which you make four days a week, Sarah.

Sarah [00:00:45] I make it four days a week. Monday through Wednesday, I share a little bit about all the major headlines in between, I don’t know, seven to 10 minutes. No panic, no doom scrolling. We’re just going to sit and chat about what’s going on in the world. I like to throw in treats. I like to share things like an archive I found of all the space logos over the last like, I don’t know, 80 years. And I’ve been exploring sports reporting, Beth.

Beth [00:01:19] I’ve noticed. I think that you have really upped your game in the sports reporting sector.

Sarah [00:01:24] Thank you. I’m trying. Sometimes it’s just what I’ve absorbed from the environment. But sometimes I actually watch games and report like the real sports journalist I am. This all takes place in the News Brief. And then, of course, on Thursday, we have the Good News Brief, which I’m most proud of. Look, it’s it is a muscle I’ve had to build over several years to pay attention and pick up on good news trends, good news stories. And like I’ve said before, this is not like the town paid for their medical bills. No, this is breakthroughs in medical research. This is positive policies and how they work, both in states and sometimes in other countries. I did a story on Morocco that has instituted almost universal free preschool across the country. Just things like that. It’s work. I’m not going to lie to you. It is a skill I have developed to find these good news stories, but I’m really, really proud of the good news brief. I think it is an important part of a robust news diet. And so I do that every Thursday so that you will get four episodes of the News Brief with your $15 a month if you come join us and subscribe over at Pantsuit Politics Substack. And that’s just a little bit. We’ll talk about next week what you get with Beth’s More to Say. I’m really proud of the News Brief. We have fun in the comments every day. I always learn something in the comment every day about a story I’ve reported on in the News Brief. So if you’ve never checked it out, you should.

Beth [00:02:57] And you can try that Substack trial and you’ll see good morning listed, and that is where you’ll hear Sarah’s News Brief every day. And I want to just take a second and say that we feel awkward about selling our premium content to you while the government is shut down and a lot of people are feeling economic stress. This is the time of year when we do that. We don’t have a business without listener support and our business feels quite tenuous right now as well. And so we believe in what we do here and we believe things like Good Morning are helpful and contributive in really difficult times, but we understand that it is tense to be thinking about money and then hear us trying to sell things to you. Please know that we only do it because we want to keep showing up here with you and we want to live through these difficult times and get through them together. So if you are in a position to subscribe, we would love to have you on board. Like I said, there’s a free trial so you can check it out before you commit. And if you are already a paid subscriber and many of you have been for so many years, thank you so much. You are why we get to show up and make these episodes that we share with the world twice a week. So you can go to pantsoupoliticsshow.com to learn more and thank you again.

Sarah [00:04:11] Up next, big Gretch.

Beth [00:04:25] Governor Whitmer, welcome back to Pantsuit Politics. Thank you so much for being here.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:04:29] Absolutely, I’m thrilled to be with you.

Beth [00:04:31] And it’s a good morning. You campaigned with some of the Democrats on the ballot in these elections. Tell me just how you got the news last night and how are you feeling today?

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:04:42] Well, I got the news like everyone else did. Watched it on the television. But I also was texting with a number of my fellow Democratic governors to make sure that we all had the most current information. And I’m thrilled. I think that Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill showed that pragmatists who want to focus on solving problems and helping people get ahead can win these races. They’re both rock stars. I’m thrilled that we’re adding them to our cadre of a historic number of eight Democratic women governors is now going to 10, which is really exciting, but they’re stars. And I think this is just the beginning of the country getting to see what true leaders can and should look like.

Sarah [00:05:28] Now, I have heard that the female Democratic governors have a robust group text. Now you’re going to add two new members. I think that’s amazing.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:05:40] Yeah. Well, me too. During all the ups and downs of what we’ve navigated over the last seven years that I’ve been governor, having my colleagues as a sounding board, as encouragement, as a fellow, laugh on occasion at the absurdity of some of the things that we have to negotiate and deal with as women in this business or as governors in these times has really been important for me as leader. And so that group chat while there’s levity certainly at many times, it also has been really important in terms of my ability to lead and to have counsel that I can trust, that I know understands all the things that I’m confronting. And so those ladies are some of my very best friends.

Sarah [00:06:27] Well, and I would think it’s an incredible focus group electorally as we look across the nation because you have these two pragmatist female governors, but you have Mamdani as a democratic socialist winning in New York city. But to me the threat is affordability. I wonder if this is what you guys are seeing across the country in different states, the democratic Governors, both male and female, this is a broad coalition across different states with different challenges. Is that what you’re seeing? Is this just consistent theme of an affordability crisis?

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:07:04] Absolutely. When I ran for governor in 2018, people heard my phrase and I won and it really was galvanizing. Fix the damn roads. We’re going to fix the damn roads. At the time some people were clutching their pearls that, oh, that language was too graphic.

Sarah [00:07:21] What a time.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:07:23] Right. What difference six years makes. But I would just say this. When I talked about fixing the roads, it was about helping people keep more money in their pocket. It was about the economy. It’s about making sure that when you’re a business, your goods get where they need to on time. When you’re getting your kids to school, you’re going to be safe on those roads. When you get into work, you’re not going to be on the side of the road fixing your car and late to show up. And so it is about the economy. It’s about making people’s lives better. And so to see here we are eight years later people are winning on this message, is not a surprise to me because this is how I won the state of Michigan. A tough state win twice by double digits because people want and deserve leaders who understand what they’re dealing with and are actually focused on making their lives better and keeping more money in our pockets. So I’m not surprised to see that worked for the mayor of New York. It worked in these two governor’s races and that is what motivates people in our country when the cost of living is so high, when tariffs are taking a toll and driving up prices, when we see business not investing because of the chaos in terms of that tariff policy or other pressure points. And so, yeah, affordability was a winning message back in 2018 when I ran and it continues to be here in 2025.

Beth [00:08:50] Yeah, I was talking to one of my daughters this morning, she’s a freshman in high school, about these races and how excited we were to have two new women governors. And we were talking about how there is a real difference in the skill set to run a campaign and then the skill to turn around and govern. And it’ll be interesting to see where we go from here, especially with Mamdani. But thinking about the governors in particular, I’m interested in hearing you say more about the levers that a governor has to help with economic pain. It makes complete sense to me that that’s a message that resonates on the campaign trail. The roads is like a more tenuous connection. You have to really help people see that connection. I wonder what other levers you think governors have to help, especially when we have a president who is micromanaging the economy based on his whims and emotions and I think some maybe unprocessed stuff that might be better worked out in therapy.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:09:45] I know. Beth, I’ve worked with so many emotional men in this business.

Beth [00:09:49] I bet you have.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:09:52] But I would say this, the roads, it is tenuous. But I’m going to just share with you the story that really moved me on this conversation. So when I was getting across the state in preparation for the 2018 election, I campaigned for two years. So from 2016, 2017, like I was in it. My favorite question to ask people was if I’m fortunate enough to get elected, what can I do that’ll make your life better? And then I shut my mouth and I listen. I think that that’s a unique skill that not enough people have cultivated, but people will tell you. And I heard over and over again, fix the damn roads. And it kind of became the mantra of the campaign, but it was a woman I was talking to at the Detroit Children’s Hospital. She was there with her son. He was having spinal surgery. And she took a minute to chat with me. And so I didn’t want to waste time. I knew her time was valuable and so I asked that question and she said, to my surprise, fix the damn roads. And I say to my surprise because I’m in a children’s hospital with a mom. I thought maybe we’re going to talk about education or healthcare. So I said, tell me more. Why is that the first thing out of your mouth?

[00:11:03] And she explained. She was driving from her home in Flint down to the city of Detroit to go visit her one son in the hospital, hit a pothole, it busted the rim on her wheel, and it sidelined her for a whole day. She had to call a tow truck. She had to find money out of her budget to pay to fix her car. She was paying for childcare for her other kids who were home. Missed that day with her son at the hospital. And so the personal cost was so great. And for me it was about rent, it’s about childcare, it’s about all these other things that are part of her budget that she had to take money from just to fix the car to get back on the road. And I think whether it’s that or it is eliminating taxes on overtime or it’s enhancing our working family’s tax credits. So if you’re working hard but can’t make ends meet, you get a tax benefit for that. These are some of the things that we’ve done in Michigan to put more money back in people’s pockets. Free breakfast and lunch for all 1.4 million kids in Michigan at school every day. That’s about 900 bucks in savings per student in a household. That’s real time and money that we’re saving people when we pursue these policies. And we can get it done at this level.

Sarah [00:12:18] I want to talk about one election result that caught my attention was the Georgia Public Service Commission, which is this obscure commission that sets energy prices. But again, I think this is another theme we’re seeing energy prices-- it’s almost like to me the affordability, the fix the damn roads. Mikie Sherrill talked a lot about energy prices. And the reason I’m asking you is I know you just announced this historic investment in an AI data center, one of the biggest investments in Michigan’s history. How are you thinking about that trade-off between investment and the economy? And I know that this is an issue that came up a lot in some of these elections, that the energy costs of the data centers and making sure we’re getting that investment. That’s one of those balancing acts you have to do as a governor and that Democrats are going to have to speak to across the nation. So how do you think about that?

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:13:05] We’ve got to be really pragmatic and smart about this and reject those who say it’s either this or that. The false choices that people love to give you and try to box you in and play got you politics is something that I always say, listen, we have to figure out how to do both and do both responsibly, but effectively. With these data centers, it needs to be built. We know that there is an economic benefit to doing it. We also know we have a responsibility to do it in a way that protects the energy, the affordable energy for people on the ground here in Michigan. And so I think that the one that we announced is such a great opportunity because the rates will actually fall for residential users. It’s very exciting. I think we struck the right balance of prioritizing building and investment in economy. But also protecting the consumer at home. So you can do both. And anyone who says you can’t just doesn’t really want to solve a problem. They want to politicize a problem and benefit themselves over it. Whereas, I think, let’s roll up our sleeves, sharpen our pencils, and try to fix the problem on both fronts. And I think that’s what we struck on the deal that we recently announced. But that being said, we can’t assume that that’s always going to be the case. We got a duty to try and work. And if it doesn’t work, then we pursue something different.

Beth [00:14:42] How are you thinking about the Mamdani win? I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you since that is the most controversial one and the headline making topic today.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:14:52] When I saw the numbers of youth voter turnout, when I saw the enthusiasm levels, I think that there are probably some really wonderful lessons for us to take away from this. And we’re in the early hours after polls close. So I don’t know that we know all the lessons yet. But he certainly spoke to a need that resonated with people. He put out a vision that did as well. And that’s why I know that there are consternation on various issues with regard to where he’s been historically and perhaps policies he might pursue. But I think there’s a lot of good here. And I’ve always said I’m thrilled to see someone like Gavin Newsom play the role he’s playing and JD Pritzker play the role he’s playing and Mayor-elect Mamdani, too. I think that there’s enough room and enough good from each of the work that they’re doing that we can all benefit from it. And so I’m excited by this turnout, but I think there’s a lot of lessons to learn and maybe there’s some good things that we could replicate or learn from here.

Sarah [00:16:01] Yeah, my 16 year old is obsessed with him over here in Kentucky, loves him, was so excited about his win. I wonder how you think about that sort of generational-- there’s all that polling that generationally the Gen Z is like into socialism and down on capitalism. And sometimes I just think the words are doing so much work. We’re not actually talking about what the differences are between our generation and them and even older with the boomers. So from your vantage point, as bridging those generations in so many ways as women our age often are, how do you think about these generational shifts and the debate we had in the Democratic Party about older leadership and now this energy around younger leadership?

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:16:49] Well, I think it’s exciting. My kids are 22 today. My youngest turned 22 and my older is 23. And they’re in it. They’re in it in a way that I wasn’t at that age. I think because the world’s a lot heavier for them, frankly, whether it’s social media or it’s gun violence or it is climate change or it is individual rights or it’s simply the desire to actually maybe own a home one day. They are in it, and that excites me. It also saddens me a little bit that they have to be so cognizant of all of these pressures. It’s a bummer for sure, but I guess an upside is that they are leaning in and their enthusiasm I think is really important. And in this most recent election I think we saw leaders win who were speaking to the issues that the young electorate needed to have leaders focused on Also, we’re closer in age to them than the leaders that they’ve had. This generation for the better part of their cognizant life has seen octogenarians at the top of the ticket, right? And how can anyone whether it’s Joe Biden or Donald Trump really appreciate what’s going on with an 18 year old and the things that they’re worried about? And so I do think that it’s healthy for us to have all of these new leaders rising up. And I think that that’s a great thing. In Michigan we had the highest youth voter turnout in the country in 2022 during my re-elect. It’s not because I’m as young as mayor-elect Mamdani, but I do you think that people could relate better. I do thing that there were a lot of issues that drove them out, reproductive rights was one of them. But I do think that it’s important that we’ve got young people involved. They’ve got the longest stake in the outcome of these elections. And we need to be driving agendas that are mindful of that and driven by making their lives better.

Sarah [00:18:58] Well, I think you’re really naming something there, which is there’s just been so much focus since the last presidential. So I’m like what’s the answer for the Democratic Party? And I think what you’re naming is there’s not going to be one answer, not one generational answer, not one approach answer, be it Pritzker, be it Gavin Newsom, be it you. It’s not going to be one even issue. Reproductive rights is powerful, but it’s not the only thing people care about. And I wonder, you’re no shrinking violet; you sign up for tough interviews; so how do you not only speak to like the positive things that can motivate, but how do handle tough questions about some of the mistakes the Democratic party has made in the past? Because I know you get them because you’re a high profile Democrat. You get in interviews where people are like but what about COVID or what about trans rights or what the things we’ve-- it was trying to decide that there was one way to be as a Democrat that got us in trouble. So I’m glad we’re leaving that behind, but there’s still some toxicity, I think. And I wonder how you handle that.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:19:59] A couple things. First I would say I really support an avenger style. Let’s recognize and give grace to every Democrat who’s leaning in and give them encouragement, even if it’s not how we would do it. Even if maybe it’s not the Michigan way or the California way. I love seeing AOC out there as well as what’s going on in the other side of the country with Gavin Newsom and the redistricting that they just got done in California. It’s fantastic and it’s energizing. I’ll also say I’m from Michigan. It’s a different state. We’ve got a different strategy here. I’m staying focused on the affordability issues, the issues that hit people at their dinner table. How are you going to afford to put food on the table, get your kid the education they need, and also make sure that your paycheck covers not just your necessities, but can give you the life that you want and deserve. Every person deserves that. And so I recognize that a lot of people want one voice in opposition to what’s coming out of Washington, D.C. And that’s just not going to happen. We have to get comfortable with lots of different people leaning in in the way that they can. But every one of us has a responsibility and an opportunity to help inform what that looks like, to help make sure that we are focused on the things that really matter. Because when you are, that’s how you win. Good policy is good politics every time.

Beth [00:21:33] So, in that vein, I want to ask you about something I’m struggling with. I love the Avenger style approach. I completely agree with that. I think that is exactly right for the moment. The gerrymandering stuff has me really bummed, mostly where it originated, but also having to respond. And I go back and forth about whether you do have to respond because there is a part of me that thinks anytime we’re drawing lines on historic data, we are walking away from the fundamental principle that this is a country where people are here to be persuaded election by election and that we can win people’s hearts and minds election by election. So I just wonder how you’re thinking about this, what feels like an arms race to me right now.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:22:19] I feel the same way. Gavin Newsom doesn’t want to have to do redistricting in California. No Democrat wants to do this. And yet because we see what’s happening and the real threats, I’m damn glad that there are leaders like him who can get it done in a state like California. It’s not going to happen in the state of Michigan. I can tell you that because we’ve got a split legislature and we’ve got a commission and there are a lot of hurdles to that. But I don’t think any of us wants this. We just assume maybe the lesson from this election is that people don’t want politicians screwing around with lines to benefit themselves and not do the work that they’re supposed to be elected to do. I would love to see these states that are pursuing this retreat from it and say, all right, we’ve gone too far. We’ve been rebuked. I would love to see Congress, Congressional GOP in particular, grow a spine and say, no, you know what, we are a check and balance on the executive branch, not their loyal dog. We have an important role here and we’ve got to protect the sanctity of these democratic institutions. So I’m hopeful that this electoral rebuke of those policies will have that impact. I’m not sure if it will, but I’m grateful that there are people who’ve got tools that can fight fire with fire when it needs to happen, as much as none of us want that to happen.

Sarah [00:23:57] I want to go back to what you said about your kids because this is something I’ve been thinking about. I think that people are always concerned about their kids’ futures. And it looks to me like the moms for liberty approach, the Glenn Youngkin approach in Virginia is fading a bit. And I think there’s space for a new narrative around our kids and our future that could really click for people. And I think you named it with yours. I wonder what you’re hearing from voters because I know that you listen about what I’m calling the anxious generation, about the social media usage, about policies like in Australia where they’re banning it for kids under 16. With so many states stepping up and banning cell phones in schools, I’m wondering how you’re thinking about maybe a new narrative around our kids and education and protecting them as we expand technologies, particularly with artificial intelligence.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:24:56] Yeah, I think we’re due for a real reckoning in this country. I understand that some of the desire that maybe fueled that Moms for Liberty group was to have some control. And I understand that that is something that so many of us feel like we don’t have control of the information that our kids have access to. The real threat is online. It’s not books in the library. The real threat is online. And if we could find our common ground about actually taking phones out of schools, if we could our common-ground about holding social media companies accountable and having some real teeth, I think that that would be a really important thing for the mental health of our children, for the ability of parents to be able to parent. One of the more troubling conversations I had recently was with a woman who is the mom of three boys.

Sarah [00:25:59] Present.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:25:59] I know it wasn’t you, but I know that applies to you. But saying I’m trying to do everything I can, but I worry about my boys. I worry that they’re getting curated this content that I can’t oversee, that is inaccurate, that is actually dangerous, that feeds some of the worst anxieties that all human beings have. And I didn’t have a great answer for her. I took it in. I’ve been thinking about it ever since she said that. I tend to think if you’ve got an engaged parent like that, you’re ahead of the pack. But, man, it is overwhelming. And that’s why I think this is a moment of a possibility for reckoning for us to find some common ground here because it is scary what’s happening. And the mental health piece on top of everything else is really troubling.

Beth [00:26:55] I notice with other parents in my circles this sense of the scale of everything feels out of our reach. And so everything we worry about seems inevitable. I love fix the damn roads because you can fix the dam roads and then everyone can see that they are fixed and you can say, look, we did this. And then here’s how we’re going to maintain it. The conversations I have about parenting are like I don’t want to give my kids Instagram or Snapchat, but that’s how all their friends communicate and that’s how their school is communicating. And so what are we going to do? And with AI, I feel like there’s a real sense of like it’s probably going to take my job. Who knows what’s going to be left for my kids, but what are we going to do. And I wonder how you think about continuing to build trust and confidence that we can do things still.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:27:46] Yeah, it’s challenging. This is why I’ve come to actually enjoy doing laundry because I can see it’s done when it’s done and I can check it off my list. I’ve got a lot of things that stay on the list, it seems like forever. But what you are speaking to is something that I think we all feel. I feel like in my role my kids are raised. They’re never raised, you know? My dad tells me even when your daughter’s 54 years old and she’s the governor of Michigan, you worry about her. And so I worry about my kids. I worry about their generation. I worry about all of these things. And I do think that there are things that we can do to prepare and that we have to stay nimble. And AI, the solution is not turning away from it and putting our heads in the sand. We’ve got to figure out how to utilize it, how to live with it, how to benefit from it, and how to protect ourselves from it. All of these things. But you can’t protect yourself from it if you don’t understand it. And so it’s part of the challenge. It’s not necessarily wholeheartedly embracing it but really doing the work to understand it so that we can build our resilient kids who are nimble in the workforce, who can utilize it to their advantage and make sure that it enhances their life instead of replaces them. But I think that you’re speaking to the same anxiety that I feel as a mom, as a leader of an economy that’s really 10 million people rely on. And that’s why I think this is the philosophy I’ve evolved into.

Sarah [00:29:30] Well, while we’re in this space of talking about anxiety online and young men, let’s not miss our moment to talk about the infighting and the far right now. Because you’ve lived out some of these far right and the threats that they bring to you personally with these far-right ideologies. And I wonder how much you’re paying attention to this Tucker Carlson platforming Nick Fuentes and Ben Shapiro attacking Tucker Carlson? And it seems like they have a real inflamed situation about how far they are going to go with really far right, women hating, particularly women in power hating ideologies. And with such personal experience like you’ve had, how are you watching this and what are you thinking about it?

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:30:12] Well, I’m thinking about and hoping that we see leaders in the Republican Party call it out and say there is no place for it and it will never be rewarded. Not only that, but it will be will be punished and these folks will be ostracized. We haven’t totally seen that. And I am hopeful that it happens because it is egregious and dangerous. I have worked with a number of people on the other side of the aisle as colleagues. When the plot to kidnap and kill me became public, Charlie Baker, Republican governor of Massachusetts was one of the first people to call me, and I was grateful for that. When Charlie Kirk was killed or when President Trump was shot, I called it out. I used my platform to call it out, and not everyone did that. And I think it’s important that no matter what side of the aisle you sit on, every one of these instances of degrading other fellow Americans or the violent rhetoric or actions is we need to take action and call it out and say that this is absolutely not acceptable in this country. Not everyone’s doing that yet. And I’m hopeful that they do, but I’m obviously watching and horrified by the language that some of these people are so comfortable using. The Nazi talk and the anti-woman and all the other racist tropes, it’s really, really horrifying. And yet, good people have to stand up to it on both sides of the aisle.

Beth [00:31:52] I spend probably too much time thinking about how there can be leadership in the Republican Party that brings it back to a healthy functioning party in our system. And one of the things that I really like about your approach, when you talk about the Michigan way, I love that. Because I think we would be a lot better off if our primary identities were about our places, not our parties. That seems to me to be part of the Mamdani appeal. I heard him really saying, “We love this city. We are New Yorkers.” And that brings a lot of people to the table. The Michigan way is part of that. I think that our governor Bashir has done a really good job talking about this. These are our Kentucky values. This is what we do here. I wonder how you cultivate that intentionally. And if you see more opportunities for that to be cultivated around the country by leaders of lots of different ideologies?

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:32:50] I love that you raised that. I never actually really thought about it. I am a born and bred Michigander. My kids, when I was on the campaign trail, used to imitate me and say, “I love Michigan.” But I say that all the time. I do. I love the state. That’s who I am. That is my identity. I’m also a Detroit Lions fan. And that all of a sudden has a good positive identity too. It took a long time before everyone in Michigan was acknowledging that. But I think that that’s really important. I appreciate you raising that. As I introduce myself to people, when I was called that woman for Michigan, I was proud. And it yielded a great Etsy community that created all sorts of content with that woman from Michigan.

Beth [00:33:32] Stimulating the economy everywhere.

Sarah [00:33:34] That’s right. Well, a micro economy.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:33:36] But I think that it can be such a source of strength and unity. And I would love to see more Americans be proud and to find our unity around our identity as Americans. But as far as Michiganders or Kentuckians-- is that what we call it?

Sarah [00:33:58] Yes.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:33:58] I think that it’s a powerful symbol of unity. And maybe because you’re a purple state or you’re red state with a blue governor and we’re a Purple State, maybe that comes more naturally to us because that’s what centers us. But I think that’s worth thinking more about, Beth. I love that.

Beth [00:34:19] Well, it seems to bring like a sense of neighborliness to the table. I noticed that Michiganders talk about you as Gretchen and we talk about Andy here. And I think that first name basis says a lot about who you are and what you represent and what you mean to your states.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:34:39] Yeah. Well, I think being on the ground. I saw Andy talking about the recent event with the UPS plane and he feels that; he feels it for his people. He’s on the ground with Kentuckians. And when we have had our crises here it is just a reminder that we don’t ask are you Democrat? Are you a Republican? When we show up in a crisis, we just help each other. I think that’s really, really important.

Sarah [00:35:19] So we always end our show with what’s on our mind Outside of Politics, and it sounds like it’s the Detroit Lions. Would you like to have the floor in pursuit of your fandom of the Detroit Lions? The NFL would love it. They’re trying to get more women to watch football. So here’s your chance.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:35:32] Well, I am very proud of my Detroit Lions, as you can see behind me. I think the Detroit Lions are such a great symbol of the state of Michigan. We’re gritty people. We’ve been knocked down. We can get up and we can rise. And I think that’s the grittiness of our people with a little championship swagger. It tells you everything you need to know about who Michiganders are.

Sarah [00:35:58] I love it. And that Michigan in Nice, my favorite Michigan story is we have a publisher in Michigan and we went up there to visit them for the first time and it was raining. And they were taking us around the office and introducing it to all the staff, 20 people. And when I tell you every single one of them apologized to us for the rain. I was like, guys, it’s not your fault. Oh, we’re so sorry for the ring. I was, like, this is the Nice. This is what they’re talking about. Lord in heaven, 25 people in a row. I’m so sorry for the rain. I’m sorry for their rain.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:36:25] I love it. Well I hope next time you’re here they’ll share craft beer because I’ve never been to Kentucky without people making sure I try the bourbon.

Sarah [00:36:32] I bet you that’s right.

Beth [00:36:33] Governor Whitmer, thank you so much for being here with us.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer [00:36:36] Thank you both. Good to see you.

Sarah [00:36:38] Good to see you.

Beth [00:36:39] Good to see you.

Sarah [00:36:42] Thank you to all of you for joining us for another episode of Pantsuit Politics. Again, it is a stressful time for all of us economically. So if you support our show, understand that that makes this work possible. We have had whole entire pieces of our personal economic pie at Pantsuit Politics disappear over the last several years. It’s a crazy industry and it is all of you who subscribe that keep us going. So if you want to upgrade to pay at Pantsuit Politics show, you will get Good Morning, More to Say and our spicy bonus episodes. Seven premium episodes every week for just $15 a month. Not going up at the price of inflation. So go check that out at pantsuitpoliticshow.com. And until Tuesday, keep it nuanced y’all.

Show Credits

Pantsuit Politics is hosted by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. The show is produced by Studio D Podcast Production. Alise Napp is our Managing Director and Maggie Penton is our Director of Community Engagement.

Our theme music was composed by Xander Singh with inspiration from original work by Dante Lima.

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