Michigan Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer promised Friday to keep fighting for legal abortion for the sake of her constituents’ children and the future of the state.
Whitmer has made abortion rights a central part of her plea to Michigan voters following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last month. The Democrat governor seems hopeful her stance on abortion will help her win a second term in November.
“Abortion is still legal in Michigan, and I’ll never stop fighting to keep it that way. For my kids, your kids, and the future of our great state.” Whitmer tweeted Friday afternoon.
Abortion is still legal in Michigan, and I’ll never stop fighting to keep it that way.
For my kids, your kids, and the future of our great state.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) July 29, 2022
Abortion remains obtainable in Michigan thanks to a Court of Claims judge placing a stay on a 1931 abortion law that outlaws the practice, with the only exception being the life of the mother. In April, Whitmer filed a lawsuit and used executive action to urge the state’s highest court to look at the 1931 law.
Whitmer has repeatedly cast herself as a staunch defender of abortion rights in the state and has garnered national media attention for her stance. Legacy media outlets like The Washington Post and Time recently ran glowing pieces on Whitmer. The Post even spotlighted her two pro-abortion college daughters in a piece headlined, “Gretchen Whitmer’s abortion fight — from the porch with her daughters.”
Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe, Whitmer said she immediately thought about her daughters. “They now have fewer rights than I’ve had my whole life,” the governor said, adding that the decision made her “incensed.”
Whitmer faces a re-election challenge in November from a Republican Party expecting a “red wave” in the midterms. To appeal to Michigan voters, the governor appears set on making abortion a top issue, promising to “fight like hell” to protect abortion access.
“However we personally feel about abortion, health, not politics should drive the important medical decisions,” Whitmer said immediately following the Supreme Court’s monumental decision on June 24. “We must trust women, not politicians, to make decisions about our own bodies.”