Gretchen Esther Whitmer is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as the 49th Governor of Michigan, a position she has held since January 1, 2019. Born on August 23, 1971, in Lansing, Michigan, Whitmer earned a bachelor's degree in communications and a Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University in 1993 and 1998, respectively.
Whitmer's political career began in 2000 with her election to the Michigan House of Representatives, followed by service in the Michigan State Senate from 2006 to 2015. She became the first woman to lead a caucus in the State Senate when she served as the Democratic minority leader from 2011 to 2015. Before becoming governor, she also served as the Ingham County prosecutor in 2016. During her time as governor, Whitmer has focused on infrastructure, education, and the environment. In 2022, she was re-elected as governor, and both chambers of the state legislature shifted from Republican to Democratic control, marking the first time in years that Democrats held trifecta control in the state.