May 28, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2026
Contact: press@michigan.gov
Gov. Whitmer Delivers Final Keynote Address at Mackinac Policy Conference on Collaboration and Choosing Michigan
Building on her hard-fought achievements, Governor Whitmer advocates for housing, literacy, and more money in Michiganders’ pockets
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her final keynote address as governor at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference. She recounted her commitment to working across the aisle to deliver for Michiganders, from fixing the damn roads and investing in education to winning a new fighter mission at Selfridge and creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in Michigan. She also talked about her approach to leadership, outlined her priorities for the rest of the year, and called on Michiganders to work together, find common ground, and “Choose Michigan.”
Since taking office, Governor Whitmer has worked across the aisle to get things done. She has signed almost 1,600 bipartisan bills and seven balanced, bipartisan budgets into law, delivering real change on the kitchen table issues that matter to Michigan families.
“Since day one, I’ve been laser focused on working with anyone to make a difference in Michiganders’ lives,” said Governor Whitmer. “That approach has helped us get a lot done in Michigan. We fixed the damn roads, created tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, cut over $1 billion in taxes, and built a strong foundation for the next generations. This year, let’s keep moving forward on our priorities and work together to build more homes, drive down costs, and help every child read. Let’s choose Michigan and set an example for the rest of the nation on how to overcome division and build a bright future.”
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Hello everyone!
Thank you to the Detroit Regional Chamber for organizing this annual conference.
Thank you also to the Grand Hotel for their hospitality.
Let’s thank all the people working to keep us comfortable, caffeinated, and fed.
Because this is my “senior year” as governor, the slide show is a yearbook. For your entertainment, I’ve included some funny photos from my yearbooks, too. Let’s jump in.
Every year my keynote focuses on one or two big ideas.
The common thread? Our ability as Michiganders to work together, solve problems, and move Michigan forward.
To no one’s surprise, today I’m going to talk about collaboration.
I’ll discuss a former Michigan governor and our choice right now between further division or common ground.
We can each do our part to bridge divides, lower the temperature, and always, always, always choose to put Michigan and Michiganders first.
Big achievements require collaboration. I’ve signed almost 1,600 bipartisan bills, and 7 bipartisan budgets… with one more soon. I’m proud of that.
Despite that, we know our politics have gotten more divided.
These forces make us angry, hopeless, and apathetic.
The data backs it up:
And we’ve seen a scary rise in violence targeting politicians, CEOs, and anyone making their voices heard.
More Americans are open to using violence to achieve political goals.
Just think about that.
We have serious challenges as a nation and a state. If we can’t talk to one another and debate ideas without violence, how can we move forward?
Over 20 years ago, Governor Bill Milliken discussed this challenge right here at MPC.
Milliken was our longest-serving governor—a great leader with a humble style.
In 2005, Governor Milliken warned the crowd: “we have seen a growth of meanness, of bitterness, and excessive partisanship.”
He reminded us that as goes Detroit, so goes Michigan. He called on us to stay focused on the people we serve.
He warned that unless we work together, our infrastructure would decay, our skilled workers would leave, and our state would be left in the dust. Remember: this was 2005.
Governor Milliken’s speech that day made a huge impression on a young legislator in the crowd… me.
Governor Milliken believed in collaboration. As some if not many of you know, he also formed a deep friendship with Coleman Young, the Democratic mayor of Detroit.
The governor said they “were able to work together constructively to solve critical problems, and I think that’s what the state needed.”
Governor Milliken loomed large in my life. When I was a kid, my dad was his Commerce Director. Through my dad, I learned lessons from this giant of Michigan politics: treat people with respect, listen, and remember that we are Michiganders first. In my own life, I’ve tried to live and lead with those same, timeless values.
During his 1972 State of the State address, Milliken said “divided government carries with it a mandate from the people…to work together, to seek ways to reach honorable compromise.”
My entire 14 years in the legislature, I served in the minority. So, I learned pretty quickly the only way I was ever going to get anything done was to work across the aisle.
When I was Minority Leader of the Michigan Senate, we had an opportunity to expand Medicaid.
Some of my colleagues didn’t want to give Governor Snyder a win. I could’ve retreated to my partisan corner, but I knew this was important. We worked together, I went desk to desk to persuade my fellow Democrats, and we got it done—because it was the right thing to do.
It didn’t just happen… it took a lot of hard work and trust. Now, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders have health care because we did the right thing.
As governor, I regularly work across the aisle to get things done. The governor’s oath is to the people of Michigan.
People ask me why I love this job despite all the challenges we’ve had to overcome:
My answer? My fellow Michiganders. There is inspiration everywhere. Some days you may have to search for it… but it’s there.
Our state is full of good, honest, hard-working people who care about their neighbors and want to make our two peninsulas better. I’m so proud to be a Michigander.
And we’ve been able to get a lot of things done for Michigan.
In my executive office, we like to think of our accomplishments as revolving around the five Fs. After all, who doesn’t like a good F word from time to time?
Let’s go through each one.
First: FACTORIES.
Michigan was named a Top 10 state for business by CNBC three years in a row and thanks to our workforce efforts we are now #4 for regional workforce development.
Last year, after decades of attempts and failure by Michigan leaders, I worked with the Trump Administration and we won a new F15-EX fighter mission for Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Selfridge supports thousands of local jobs and military families, not to mention $850 million of annual economic impact.
Yesterday, I signed a bipartisan bill to prepare Selfridge for the fighter mission by 2028.
Our collaboration on Selfridge is proof that we can disagree—vehemently at times—AND still find common ground if we try.
Second, FOUNDATIONS.
We’ve laid a strong foundation by investing in our students, educators, and literacy strategy.
And we delivered free breakfast and lunch to all 1.4 million Michigan public school students. Kids can focus on learning and not their growling stomachs, parents can save almost $1,000 a year per kid, and everyone can enjoy a little less stress in the morning.
Third, FINANCES.
Everything has gotten more expensive lately. I’m sure many of you stopped for gas on the way up here. While we might have winced at the climbing number, it’s important to remember… we still made the trip. Lots of folks aren’t so lucky. They can’t get by with gas and tariffs making life more expensive.
While I can’t open the strait of Hormuz, we have helped Michiganders keep more money in their pockets.
Free community college is just one part of our Sixty by 30 goal to get more Michiganders a college degree or skills certificate.
More than 200,000 Michiganders have signed up for Michigan Reconnect and gone back to school. 52% of Michiganders have a credential—up from 45% when I took office.
Fourth, FIXING THE DAMN ROADS.
Bad roads are expensive. A flat tire or busted rim can mean missed work, money diverted from rent or childcare, or lost profits.
In my very first budget, I proposed a real, long-term, sustainable fix for this decades-old problem… but despite saying they wanted to fix the damn roads, the legislature wouldn’t touch it or offer an alternative.
So, I launched Rebuilding Michigan, a five-year plan to fix our busiest state highways and bridges. Thanks to Rebuilding Michigan, by the end of my time in office, we will have fixed 26,500 lane miles of road and almost 2,000 bridges, supporting tens of thousands of jobs. This was a good start, but it was never a long-term fix. We still needed a sustainable, long-term solution.
Last fall, we delivered the largest roads deal in state history—in a split legislature, no less—investing an extra $2 billion a year to fix state and local roads. We got it done to keep drivers safe, create jobs, and save families money. Both Speaker Hall and Majority Leader Brinks helped me get this done.
Fifth, FREEDOMS.
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Michigan voters enshrined reproductive freedom in the state constitution. In Lansing, we repealed our 1931 abortion ban and enacted a Reproductive Health Act.
This is about justice AND economics. Anyone who says it’s not probably doesn’t have a uterus.
LGBTQ+ rights are also about both justice and the economy. If we want to grow, we must build a more welcoming state where everyone can thrive.
One of my proudest moments as governor was signing the expansion to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act with my daughter by my side.
Mel Larsen was at the ceremony too. He, Governor Milliken, and a Democrat named Daisy Elliott gave us the original civil rights law.
That was five—so I guess I have no more F’s to give.
Like I said, big achievements require collaboration.
And we have more to do. In my last six months—Q3 and Q4 in your language—it’s all gas, no brakes until noon on January 1st, 2027.
We face big challenges.
One of them was outlined just two days ago by Sandy Baruah, who said “the lack of clarity around our trade and tariff policies has…negatively impacted Michigan and our auto industry.”
I agree with him.
U.S. and Canada relations are strained… to put it lightly.
Government-subsidized Chinese auto companies are invading the markets in Europe, Mexico, and now, Canada.
Tariff policy and rhetoric motivated Canada to cut a deal with China to drop their automotive tariffs down from 100% to 6%.
The Iran War has skyrocketed gas prices, grocery prices, the cost of fertilizer, and electricity bills. Consumer sentiment is at an all-time low. Inflation just hit a three-year high.
The Chamber’s recent poll shows how these economic concerns are driving more Michiganders to feel things are headed in the wrong direction.
In D.C., we will keep pushing the administration to protect our auto industry and establish a smarter national trade policy. Here in Michigan, we’ll do what we can to lower costs for families who are struggling.
One thing we can do right now is complete a balanced budget on time by July 1.
I’m also calling on the legislature to work with me on a few key issues: housing, competitiveness, and literacy.
We’ve built or refurbished 90,000 homes, more than any administration in history. But we still face a housing shortage. Let’s set up a state level affordable tax credit and better zoning to put shovels in dirt and lower costs.
Let’s also equip Michigan with the right tools to continue to grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, and compete and win against other states.
But that’s not all!
Today, I’m excited to announce another step forward on literacy.
Earlier this year, we articulated our goal—Every Child Reads—and proposed the largest literacy investment in Michigan history. The plan has three pillars: early starts, proven methods, and extra support.
To support our long-term focus on literacy, leaders from education, business, philanthropy, non-profits, and government will serve on our Every Child Reads Champions Council.
Here is what they’ll do. I just signed the order setting up this council.
Michigan finally has a strategy informed by good data and bipartisan buy-in. It’s understandable that when we are talking about our kids, we want immediate results.
But literacy is a marathon, not a miracle. We must stay committed to be successful. Our work can and must continue after this year. These leaders will ensure the important work on literacy continues no matter who’s in charge.
Success requires strong partnerships… and not just on literacy. This is not the time to rest on our laurels or get senioritis. We need to supercharge our efforts because this work can’t stop.
That’s why I’m excited to work with JPMorganChase’s Security and Resiliency Initiative, and leaders across the state, to help advance Michigan’s role in building a more resilient and competitive U.S. economy.
We’ll kick off in June, with more announcements to come. Let’s bring our A-game to this critical work and choose Michigan.
Today, I’ve spoken a lot about the work we’ve done and the work ahead to move Michigan forward. But our biggest hurdle is the culture of division.
In just a few weeks, we’ll celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. I’m grateful to be an American every day. That identity carries with it an awesome responsibility to make our union more perfect, however we can.
Our founders knew the value of robust debate. Since the very beginning, we’ve been raucous, loud, and argumentative. But we knew how to work together. That’s how we built the middle class, assembled the arsenal of democracy, and defeated fascism and communism.
Disagreements in service of something greater can be necessary and productive. Every one of us has worked with someone with whom we disagree. That’s just the way it is.
But we can’t mandate people to work together. It’s a cultural issue, not a policy one. And culture is just the collective sum of our individual choices.
We can all do our part to compromise, reach out across divides, and form unlikely coalitions.
Finding common ground can be hard, but it’s worth it. Michiganders can do hard things.
Before you leave the island, I have a suggestion for you. Walk up the hill, turn right at the stables, and go straight past the governor’s summer residence all the way to the east bluff of the island.
There, you will find the Milliken Nature Center. It sits across from Arch Rock, which is fitting. Governor Milliken always worked to bridge divides.
As you enjoy the center and the glorious view, take a moment to ponder Governor Milliken’s legacy and recommit yourself to this work. We’re all Michiganders. Yes, even those who refer to themselves as “Michiganians.” They’re Michiganders too.
We all love this state and want the best future for our kids.
We heard it from the Artemis II astronauts just a few weeks ago. The extraordinary crew of four traveled farther away from Earth than any human being ever had before.
Christina Koch, the mission engineer, was born in Grand Rapids. That woman from Michigan said: “we do not leave Earth, but… we choose it. We will explore, we will build… but ultimately, we will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other.”
This year, and every year, let’s choose Michigan and choose each other. Let’s work together. Let’s build a Michigan for all. Thank you!
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