Make that two women from Michigan who may be lining up to seek the presidency in two years.
Less than two weeks after Governor Gretchen Whitmer said “never say never” regarding a White House bid, Michigan U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin said she might be interested in a run for the presidency in 2028.
“This is our generation’s time to fight, and I want to be part of that one way or another,” Slotkin said Monday in appearance before the Detroit Economic Club.
Slotkin, a Democrat, said she or someone like her would be a prime candidate in 2028, when Republican President Donald Trump would be barred under the 22nd Amendment from seeking reelection. Most states fall into the blue or the red column with a small number of “purple” swing states – including Michigan -- that prove to be decisive, she said.
“We are an anomaly,” she said. “We are an unusual place, and I think it’s a lesson for the rest of the country that if you want to understand how to appeal people across the aisle and actually get practical solutions done, come and see us.”
Slotkin said a political figure from a midwestern swing state might appeal to a broad swath of voters across the country who are more interested in problem-solving than ideology.
“I think we’re a practical, reasonable people who know how to work hard,” she said. “No one would ever call us flashy. We just put our heads down and get things done, and that is what we need more of, certainly in my party, but I think in both.”
Slotkin has been building a national profile since her election to the Senate, including national media appearances and fundraising swings that include early primary states.
Prior to being elected to the Senate, Slotkin held one of the most competitive U.S. House seats in the country. Her predecessor and her successor are both Republicans. Slotkin won her first Senate term in 2024 – when Republican Donald Trump carried Michigan in the presidential race.
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