Through the double doors of Whitmer’s office, on the left when you enter, stands a hulking mahogany bookshelf that tells her life story: family photos, two Spartan football helmets, autographed basketballs, a stack of books about Michigan, a Holy Bible, framed certificates, a miniature statue of Lady Justice, several beer mugs, and four Catholic prayer candles featuring saintly images of Whitmer’s “wise women”: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Detroit soul legend, Aretha Franklin.
“She resembles an older style of politics. She wants to get things done without tearing people apart,” says House speaker Lee Chatfield, the Republican who has battled with Whitmer the last 15 months. “She’s the only Democrat I’ve seen placate the business lobby and the environmentalists. Seriously—nobody else can do it. I’ve seen her sit down with CEOs in suits, then have beers with people from the upper peninsula.”
It’s telling that Chatfield—one of Trump’s closest allies in Michigan—has gone out of his way to publicly back the governor’s decisions in recent weeks. When I ask about the politics of the situation, he doesn’t hesitate.
“Mark my words, it would be a missed opportunity for the Democratic Party not to consider Gretchen Whitmer for the ticket,” Chatfield says. “She’s the governor of a must-win state, and she’s polling very well here right now.”