Doubting Gretchen Whitmer’s Ability To Win, Michigan Dems Scramble To Recruit Alternative Candidate For Governor

It appears Michigan Democrats’ don’t have much faith in gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer’s chances of leading them to victory in 2018. The current Democrat frontrunner for the nomination is facing tough criticism from her party’s leaders, including one prominent Michigan Democrat operative even slamming her campaign as “a more ‘Clintonian’ style that fails to cut through euphemisms.” After top-tier recruit Rep. Dan Kildee announced this week that he won’t run for governor in 2018, Michigan Democrats are now panicking, realizing they are stuck with Whitmer.

The Detroit News reports:

“Kildee dropping out allows for people to keep looking for another candidate, a non-establishment candidate,’ says Edelson.

…the uncertainty about Whitmer’s ability to reclaim the governor’s office is real.

She hasn’t established herself as able to push innovative policy ideas, sticking so far to safe Democratic talking points on the major issues.

Her statewide name identification is weak. And she’s thought to be too closely aligned to former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, whose policies she championed in the Senate.

Democrats have been scrambling to find a stronger alternative…”