Now There’s Two of Them: Michigan Governor Whitmer’s Sister Mulls Run for Congress

Democrats in New York’s swing House district might see Liz Whitmer Gereghty as a recognizable name for their 2024 ballot. She is the sister of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. According to Politico, Gereghty is mulling over the idea of running for the seat of incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. Her campaign for the seat could start as early as mid-April.

Although Gereghty is new to the world of congressional politics, her name recognition and ties to a powerful political figure might appeal to New York Democrats who suffered greatly in the 2022 midterm elections. However, the Whitmer name also brings with it some controversies. The Governor has been the subject of criticism for her strict COVID-19 lockdowns that forced businesses and churches to close in Michigan. In fact, Michigan churches sued the Governor in 2020, asserting that the COVID-19 lockdown violated their First Amendment rights. The Governor also admitted last month that her lockdowns, which disallowed Michiganders from leaving their homes, “in retrospect don’t make a lot of sense.”

Governor Whitmer has been a champion of LGBTQ rights and abortion rights. She has pledged to veto any anti-trans legislation that comes across her table and has also defended the “constitutional right to an abortion”. In 2022, Gereghty’s potential opponent, Mike Lawler, defeated the Democratic incumbent, Sean Maloney to win the seat. Lawler’s victory made Maloney the first DCCC chairman to lose re-election in four decades.