Earlier on Sunday, Whitmer traveled to Delaware to meet Joe Biden, fueling rumors that she would become Biden's running mate. As per a report by The Washington Post, Gretchen is the first candidate to have been interviewed by Joe Biden in person.
As earlier reported, Joe Biden made it clear that his running mate would be a woman. Should he win the November election, his running mate would become the first woman to serve as a vice-president in the United States of America.
Who is Gretchen Whitmer?
The 48-year-old Whitmer lives with her husband, two daughters and his three sons in Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University College of Law. Her bid for the statehouse in the 1990s was unsuccessful, but she was elected in 2000. Back in 2006, she became a state senator but was forced to step down in 2015 due to the term limits.
From 2011 to 2015, Whitmer was the Senate's first female Democratic leader and gained popularity for a floor speech during a debate on abortion in which she shared her experience of being sexually assaulted.
Whitmer was elected governor in the 2018 election in which she defeated Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette. In addition to this, she was selected to give the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address, making her one of the prominent figures in the current American politics.
Apart from her work as a politician, her response to the coronavirus pandemic was also appreciated by the political experts. Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order in response to the ongoing pandemic. Her response was met with broad public approval and a poll found that 69 percent of Michigan residents are in favor of Gretchen's actions.
Why is Biden considering Whitmer?
Whitmer is one of the most important people in the Democratic Party. Her leadership and the way she handled the pandemic outbreak in Michigan has been applauded by many. It won't be wrong to say that she is one of the rare politicians who is looking out for everyone from her state.
Biden is several points ahead of President Donald Trump and a right running-mate would increase his chances of winning. Other top contenders for the Vice President pick include Susan Rice, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Rep. Karen Bass and California Sen. Kamala Harris. Each and every one has proved their worth in recent years but Whitmer's efforts in her state surely give her an edge.
Even Biden has only positive words for Gretchen. Back in March, Biden mentioned Whitmer first among a field of candidates he was considering. During an interview, Biden revealed that Whitmer made the list in his mind in January itself.
