In First Re-Election TV Ad, Gretchen Whitmer Admits ‘The Last Few Years Have Been Tough’

Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) revealed her first re-election television commercial Tuesday, focusing on family struggles such as childcare and education while admitting “the last few years have been tough” for Michigan.

Whitmer’s ad hits the airwaves three weeks before the state’s primary elections, where five GOP gubernatorial candidates will be on the ballot for a chance to face off against the first-term governor.

“The last few years have been tough, but we’re tougher and getting things done right now,” Whitmer says in the spot titled “Family.”

Whitmer touts her administration as “making childcare more affordable” and “making it a priority to get kids back in class” following the COVID pandemic. The ad also flashes a figure showing that 98% of school districts in the state have returned to in-person learning.

On March 12, 2020, shortly after the onset of the pandemic, Whitmer ordered schools to suspend in-person education for the remainder of the academic year, as the Detroit News reported. Many schools in the state continued with virtual learning during the 2020-2021 school year, and the governor’s administration did not begin pressuring them to return to in-person learning until January 2021.

Michigan Republican Party spokesman Gustavo Portela took issue with Whitmer’s claims in the ad, telling the Detroit News, “She closed down schools, she shuttered small businesses and the reason we’re in the mess we’re in is partly because of her. Voters will see past her deception and will vote her out of office this fall.”

Whitmer’s office has not responded to a request for comment from The Daily Wire.

The Republican gubernatorial race has been heating up as five candidates jockey for a chance to face off against Whitmer. The most recent polling shows former businesswoman and political commentator Tudor Dixon leading the field of GOP candidates by 11 points with 26% support.

Dixon’s good polling performance comes after endorsements from the influential DeVos family, Michigan Right to Life, former Michigan Governor John Engler (R), and Reps. Lisa McClain (R-MI) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI), among others.

Ryan Kelley, who is set to face trial in the coming months for charges related to his presence at the January 6 Capitol riot, came in second in the same MIRS/Mitchell Research poll at 15%. Businessman Kevin Rinke and chiropractor Garrett Soldano were tied for third at 13%, while Pastor Ralph Rebandt came in last at 1%.

The Michigan primary election will be held on August 2.

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