Midterm results: Gretchen Whitmer wins reelection in Michigan, defeats Trump-endorsed Tudor Dixon
David M. Drucker
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican challenger Tudor Dixon, notching a major midterm victory for Democrats in this key Midwestern battleground.
Whitmer, 51, led in nearly every poll from the outset of the campaign, propelled by a massive war chest and aided in part by Dixon’s late start. Dixon joined the general election in August after winning a crowded Republican primary, occasionally showing signs of momentum. But Dixon was never able to find her footing or make a real dent in Whitmer’s support.
Dixon, 45, a small-business owner and conservative commentator, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Unlike the endorsements that Trump made in some other gubernatorial contests, his choice in Michigan largely aligned with the state’s GOP establishment. But his backing was not enough to get Dixon to the governor’s mansion, a black mark on his endorsement record in such a politically important state.
In winning reelection in such a difficult political environment in a state that can tip presidential elections, Whitmer puts herself in the 2024 conversation as Democrats ponder a possible future without President Joe Biden.
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The president has indicated his intention to seek a second term, but some in the party have expressed a desire for new leadership, in part given Biden’s age — he turns 80 later this month. Biden has yet to make a final decision, but if he steps aside, Whitmer would have a case to make that she can compete with Republicans in the Rust Belt states that decide the winner of the Electoral College, among them Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.