Of all the states to be affected by last week’s election none was more dramatic than Michigan.
Not only was Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer re-elected, but the House and Senate were flipped to Democratic majorities.
Four years ago, Republicans held a trifecta of power there with majorities in both the Senate and House and a Republican governor.
Give Whitmer her due.
And voters.
Running against Whitmer was Tudor Dixon. The Republican had no political experience beyond commenting for the right-wing news channel Real America’s Voice, known for promoting conspiracy theories about Covid-19 and the 2020 election being rigged.
Whitmer, on the other hand, has earned her chops.
An attorney, Whitmer was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2000 and ever since worked her way up through the Michigan Legislature becoming its first female Senate president from 2011 to 2015.
Term limits blocked any further time as a legislator. In 2018, she was elected governor, defeating the Republican incumbent.
BESIDES Republicans fielding a weak opponent, three other things helped propel Whitmer and fellow Democrats to unparalleled success: The abortion amendment, the youth vote and Democrats’ platform of addressing public education and Michigan’s aging infrastructure, particularly its roads and water systems.
Before the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, Whitmer could see the writing on the wall and in April asked the Michigan Supreme Court to resolve whether Michigan’s constitution protected a woman’s right to abortion. Michigan’s law was written in 1931 and considered abortion a felony.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 24 decision, all state laws went into effect.
In Michigan, the especially punitive law was quickly stayed by a court of appeals. Republican legislators objected. In October, justices ruled to put the measure on Michigan’s Nov. 8 ballot.
As in Kansas’ Aug. 8 primary election, a woman’s right to reproductive freedom drew a lot of voters in Michigan. Voter turnout was above 56 percent.
On university campuses, especially, the lines were long with some waiting up to six hours to cast their votes. Also spurring participation is the fact that Michigan allows same-day registration to vote, rather than our weeks-in-advance process that serves no purpose other than to punish would-be voters.
