Gretchen Whitmer

Democratic Platform

Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer has prioritized fixing Michigan's roads and infrastructure, overseeing one of the largest road repair programs in state history. She has worked to attract electric vehicle and battery manufacturing investment to Michigan, positioning the state to lead the clean energy economy. She signed a package of legislation expanding labor rights and restoring prevailing wage requirements.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.

Democratic Platform

Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer signed legislation to expand Medicaid access in Michigan and has been a strong defender of abortion rights following the Dobbs decision. Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights in 2022, which Whitmer actively supported. She has also expanded access to contraception and reproductive healthcare through executive action.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer has opposed federal policies she views as harmful to Michigan's immigrant communities and has taken steps to protect undocumented residents from state-level enforcement cooperation. She has highlighted the role of immigrant workers in Michigan's agriculture and manufacturing sectors and has backed federal comprehensive immigration reform.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.

Democratic Platform

Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer has substantially increased per-pupil education funding in Michigan, including achieving record school funding levels through bipartisan budget agreements. She expanded free community college access through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and has backed universal pre-K expansion. Education investment has been a defining pillar of her governorship.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer signed legislation requiring universal background checks and safe storage of firearms in Michigan, making it one of the first Midwest states to enact such measures. The legislation passed following the Oxford High School and Michigan State University shootings. She has called these measures consistent with responsible gun ownership.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.

Democratic Platform

Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer signed an executive directive committing Michigan to 100 percent clean energy by 2040, one of the most ambitious state clean energy targets in the Midwest. She has backed clean energy legislation and worked to attract EV and battery manufacturing to Michigan as part of both a climate and economic development strategy.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.

Gretchen Whitmer

As governor, Whitmer has engaged federal foreign policy debates primarily through their economic impact on Michigan. She has supported U.S. trade policies that protect Michigan's auto industry from foreign competition and has backed federal action to counter Chinese manufacturing subsidies that affect Michigan-based manufacturers.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.

Democratic Platform

Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer signed legislation repealing Michigan's tax on pension and Social Security income for many retirees, providing direct financial relief to Michigan seniors. She has publicly opposed federal proposals to cut Social Security or Medicare benefits, arguing they would harm Michigan's large retiree population.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Whitmer signed legislation restoring voting rights to people on probation and parole, and has supported criminal justice reform measures that reduce barriers to reentry for people leaving incarceration. She has also focused on addressing the backlog of untested rape kits and expanding access to expungement for lower-level offenses.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.