Gretchen Whitmer says she won’t run for president even if Biden leaves office
As President Biden continued to push back against Democratic calls Monday to end his campaign, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, one of the most prominent officials whose name has been floated as an alternative, ruled out doing so.
Mrs. Whitmer was asked in an interview with The Associated Press whether she would consider running in the hypothetical event that Mr. Biden were to step aside. She said no.
The speculation is “more of a distraction than anything,” she said. “I don’t like to see my name in these types of articles because I’m completely focused on running and campaigning” for the current ticket of Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Her office did not respond to a request from The New York Times to confirm her comments.
Ms. Whitmer is one of several governors widely seen as having ambitions to run for president in future elections, and who have been repeatedly mentioned as possible candidates if Mr. Biden ends his campaign, which he has said he will not do.
Other Democratic governors being watched nationwide are making their support for Biden clear.
Nathan Click, a spokesman for Gavin Newsom of California, said Mr. Newsom “has brought this up repeatedly” during his campaign for Mr. Biden in recent days. At an event in Michigan on Thursday, he said: “I don’t even like to play the hypotheticals.”
Mike Ollen, an aide to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, said the same thing: “There’s no point in getting into these hypotheticals. As Joe Biden has said, he’s our nominee and J.B. is going to continue to do everything he can to defeat Donald Trump in November.”
And Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, pointed to an interview last year in which local news outlet KDKA asked Mr. Shapiro or would he consider running if Biden didn’t. Shapiro then said, “The answer is no.”
