Chris White on August 7, 2018
Former Michigan lawmaker Gretchen Whitmer managed to beat progressive upstart candidate Abdul El-Sayed to win the Democratic gubernatorial primary as voters prepare for midterm elections.
Whitmer defeated El-Sayed 50 to 34 percent in her bid to replace out-going Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican who fumbled his way through the Flint water crisis during the 2016 presidential election. El-Sayed lost despite receiving support from left-wing elements within the Democratic Party.
El-Sayed received support from Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic congressional nominee and socialist activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Women’s March Organizer Linda Sarsour. Whitmer collected several important endorsements as well.
She has a reliably liberal legislative record and earned support of most establishment groups, including Emily’s List and Democratic stalwarts like New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard.
Whitmer was also busy cobbling together a massive campaign war chest. Her pre-primary campaign finance report showed her campaign with $2.9 million cash on hand. Whitmer’s campaign also raised $3.8 million in 2018 with 84 percent of the money coming from Michigan donors, according to her campaign.
She will take on Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette in November to determine who replaces Snyder.
