The Way Forward in 2026

I know everything feels heavy right now. We’re witnessing abuses of power, people getting hurt and even killed, communities becoming less safe, and politicians choosing to enflame tensions. We should not accept any of this.

I thought about waiting a few weeks to write my first post, but I realized that maybe I can offer some perspective and maybe even a way forward right now.

…

I’ve been reflecting a lot since the beginning of the year. Last month marked the start of my eighth and final year as governor, but also, as my family reminded me recently, 25 years since I was first sworn in as an elected official.

(Uncle Jim, my mom Sherry, me, Grandma Gretchen, and Aunt Betsy before my swearing-in. January, 2001.)

I never felt destined for politics. My plan was to be a sports broadcaster until my dad suggested I try an internship down at the State Capitol. That internship changed everything for me after I saw how much of our lives are impacted by decisions made at the state level. So I decided to run for the state House when I was 28 years old because I knew I wanted to roll up my sleeves and solve problems. I was young, so it was just that simple for me, and honestly, it still is. I wanted to get things done that make people’s lives better.

I’ve tried to stay true to that vision my whole career. In a purple state like Michigan, getting things done has meant working with people I disagree with on a lot of issues. I often talk about our bipartisan work to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act back in 2013. This was a priority of mine that I shared with the then-Republican governor, but some of my Democratic colleagues didn’t want to hand the other team the win. I went desk to desk, lobbied my colleagues, and ultimately delivered the votes needed to pass the Healthy Michigan Plan. Over one million Michiganders have received health care coverage because we did the right thing instead of playing for a scoreboard that doesn’t actually exist.

That’s how I was raised, too. I grew up in a bipartisan household. My mom worked for the Democratic attorney general at the same time my dad worked for the Republican governor. Our dinner table could be loud and spirited, but it was always rooted in kindness and respect.

So as I reflect on my time in office, and as I sit here after another heartbreaking tragedy, I am reminded that those values instilled in me, and in so many of us, are missing from our politics. I think we can all agree that too many leaders right now, especially at the national level, live by a philosophy of “I win but only if you lose.” They care more about screwing the other side than solving problems, and as a result, politics has become a game for them and a source of constant exhaustion and pain for everyone else. That’s not right. Politics at its best should be about working together to make people’s lives better.

Here in Michigan, at our best, that’s still how we do things, and our approach has led to some pretty remarkable results. Free pre-K, community college, and school meals for all. Fewer families living in poverty. Better roads and more housing. Protecting reproductive rights, workers’ rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. Cities like Flint and Detroit growing for the first time in decades. A restored sense of pride.

That’s why when Democrats lost the 2024 election, I was worried. I didn’t want anything to slow our progress here in Michigan. I thought long and hard about how to show up in this moment, and I told myself that I have to keep doing everything I can to deliver for this state and prove that we could still work together to get things done. Because amidst all the chaos, with bad policy and bad-faith actors trying to tear us apart at the seams, that might be when it’s most important to show what it means to bring people together and lead.

In my last year as governor, I will keep doing my job the best way I know how. I will show up anywhere when it makes the people of Michigan or our economy stronger. I’ll work with anyone, even if I disagree with them 99% of the time. After 25 years, I still know that’s the right approach.

But there’s another reason getting things done is the right strategy. I think a critical part of how we change the direction we’re going and win elections moving forward is by showing that we can actually deliver results. That leads me to why I’m starting this Substack. I have big plans for 2026, and I want to engage more people in the work we’re going to do.

I’m not on the ballot this year, but I will be working hard to elect a strong bench of candidates in 2026 across the country who are ready to stop the chaos and get stuff done.

Michigan is one of the toughest states to win, and I’m proud that we won statewide twice by double digits. That wasn’t dumb luck. We went to all 83 counties during both of my campaigns. We spent time in the reddest parts of the state where Democrats typically didn’t bother showing up, and we stayed focused on the kitchen-table issues without compromising our values. I talked so much about “fixing the damn roads” that people were calling me “that roads lady” long before anyone was calling me “that woman from Michigan.”

I know that our successes in Michigan can be replicated nationwide. I was just elected Vice Chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and we’re playing offense in 36 governors races this November. Governors are the front line right now, protecting our people from decisions made in D.C. and actually doing the work that’s not getting done over there.

I’m also traveling the country to recruit and train future candidates up and down the ballot. My team and I have already recruited almost 4,000 people interested in running for office. We’ve hosted candidate and staff trainings in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Virginia, and have many more planned in 2026. Every time I host one of these trainings, I’m reminded of how many people are ready to step up and lead.

So if I can offer one final thought, it’s this. Don’t check out. Don’t let your anger become apathy. Don’t convince yourself that things can’t get better. I’ve been in more schools, hospitals, factories, and living rooms than I can count, and I have seen time and time again that we are not as divided as our politics. We will find a way forward, together.

If you’re as fired up as I am and ready to jump in, my team and I are here.

If you think you might want to run for office, take it from me, you don’t need the perfect resume. Reach out here.

If you’re interested in working on a campaign, reach out here.

What we do this year will determine whether we stay the course we’re on or prove that we deserve something better.

And if any of what I’ve said interests you, I hope you’ll follow along. If not, that’s okay too. I wish you well.

Stay warm. Talk soon,

Gretchen