Whitmer wades into special House primary elections as the 2024 election year heats up

(Michigan Advance) With special primary elections set Tuesday for a pair of metro Detroit state House districts, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has endorsed Democratic candidates in each race: Mai Xiong in the 13th District and Andrea Rutkowski in the 25th District.

Whitmer is set to play a key role in the 2024 election cycle as co-chair of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, having done a series of abortion rights events for him this month. And she’s already garnered buzz as a potential 2028 presidential hopeful.

With both districts solidly blue, whichever Democrat prevails in each race will likely be the one to win the special general election, set for April 16. So why did the governor pick some Democrat over others?

“In simplest terms, it makes sense for the governor to endorse if she thinks one candidate will be more helpful in passing her agenda for the year,” said Democratic strategist Adrian Hemond, CEO of Lansing-based Grassroots Midwest. “I suspect that’s what’s going on here. I don’t think there are any implications for her political future other than in a governing sense. Outside of these districts, there’s very little awareness these elections are happening.” ..............(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2024/01/27/whitmer-wades-into-special-house-primary-elections-as-the-2024-election-year-heats-up/