Michigan Democrat Gretchen Whitmer threw her hat into the run and became the first person to announce they will be running for the governor's seat in Michigan in the 2018 race. Whitmer made the following post on her Facebook page as the announcement began to to circulate:
"I'm in because Michigan needs a leader who isn’t afraid to level with people about the real problems we face and bring them together around bold solutions. For too long our leaders have failed us. They haven't been straight with people, and they've politicized our problems instead of solving them. We deserve better. We deserve a leader who will put people first, and work for good-paying jobs, high quality education, and economic opportunities for all. A leader who will never cut corners when it comes to people’s health and safety. A leader who will fight for us. And I am ready to fight for Michigan."
The Michigan Republican Party immediately responded to her bid, issuing their own statement.
“If we needed further evidence that career politician Gretchen Whitmer’s brief stint in the Ingham County Prosecutor’s office was anything more than an attempt to grab a headline, here it is. Whitmer didn’t even wait a week after leaving her temp job to file for Governor," said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel.
“Gretchen Whitmer would be a disastrous return to the unsuccessful policies of the Granholm era where jobs and families were fleeing our state and unemployment skyrocketed. Whitmer, a staunch Granholm ally while in the legislature, would be a step backward for our state. Michigan is looking forward to a brighter future and Gretchen Whitmer would be a flashback to the failed past.”
Current Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is rumored to have his eyes on the seat as well, although he has not made a formal announcement.