Whitmer, Democrats get sweeping wins in divided Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer enters her second term with Democrats likely to control all levels of power in the state Capitol for the first time since the 1980s and backed by a dramatic show of voters' support for keystone Democratic issues including abortion and voting rights.

But even as state Democrats celebrated their sweep of state offices and apparent majorities in the Legislature, Whitmer publicly promised to work with both parties while sprinkling in references to Democrats' priorities.

“For the next four years, I ask you to believe in Michigan. To work with us and believe in our state. If we do, I know there is nothing we can’t accomplish,” Whitmer said Wednesday morning in Detroit. “I won’t make any predictions for the next four years. But I can promise you this: we will make Michigan a place where you can envision your future.”

Republican challenger Tudor Dixon said in a statement that she had called Whitmer to concede the battleground state’s governor race. Dixon, a former political commentator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, struggled until late in the campaign to compete with Whitmer’s multimillion-dollar campaign fund.

Whitmer was first elected in 2018 after years in the Legislature and has become a leading voice in the Democratic Party, delivering the party’s response to Trump’s State of the Union address in 2020 and becoming a frequent target of his criticism over her COVID-19 regulations.

Michigan voters were slightly more likely to approve than disapprove of Whitmer’s performance, with just over half saying the Democratic governor was handling her job well, according to AP Vote Cast, a survey of more than 3,200 voters across the state.

About a third of voters said they strongly approved of Whitmer’s performance....