LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has defeated GOP candidate Tudor Dixon and won reelection.
The Associated Press called the election at 1:24 a.m. Wednesday morning. With roughly 65% of the votes counted, Whitmer holds a 52-47 lead.
After months of leading Dixon by several points, Gov. Whitmer finished strong in a race where she often held a comfortable lead.
Whitmer’s campaign manager Preston Elliott released a statement after AP called the race.
“Tonight, Michiganders across the state made their voices heard to re-elect Governor Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist so they can continue building on their historic progress investing in public education, strengthening infrastructure, fixing the damn roads, growing the economy, and defending reproductive freedom. Governor Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist are grateful for the overwhelming support of Michiganders from Monroe to Marquette and look forward to continuing to serve the great state of Michigan for four more years,” Elliott said.
Despite an endorsement from former President Donald Trump and a strong response to her performance in televised debates, Dixon just couldn’t close the gap on Gov. Whitmer’s powerful lead in the polls.
Gov. Whitmer now enters her second term and has a lot on her plate as Michigan continues to try and recover in a post-COVID economy rife with inflation.
Her famous declaration to “fix the damn roads” will also be an ongoing challenge for the governor, a promise on which many hope she will ultimately deliver.
