GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER: Help me elect Kamala Harris who will build a brighter future for our girls
Why is the Democratic governor of Michigan writing an op-ed in Fox News? Well, I want to share some personal things about myself that you may not know and that we may have in common. As American women, we have the power to change the outcome of the upcoming election for our daughters.
I was raised in a bipartisan household. My dad served in Republican Gov. George Romney’s (yes, Mitt’s dad) cabinet, and my mom worked for the Democratic attorney general. At the dinner table, they encouraged my siblings and me to share our opinions and disagree without being disagreeable. That skill served me well in the Michigan Legislature, where I was in the minority the entire time.
You may not know I was sexually assaulted in college. I didn’t talk much about it for a long time. Years later, someone said to me, "We are all like a lump of clay. When it’s hollowed out, it becomes a cup." When something is taken from you, what’s left behind can have a purpose.
After I was assaulted, something was taken from me. But that moment cemented my lifelong purpose: to fight for women and families. After leaving the legislature, I became county prosecutor and fought for gymnasts who were sexually abused by their doctor.
Like a lot of you, I’m a mom. My two daughters are smart, driven young women. The relationship between mother and daughter is special, and as moms, we want to protect our kids. That’s why I was angry when their fundamental reproductive rights – rights I had for 50 years, that I knew were available when I was assaulted – were ripped away from them in college, just as they started their own lives.
Women are busy. You might be reading this between errands after a long day at work. You know when your grocery store has the best deals, how much summer camp costs, and what supplies your son needs for art class. You know the tone in your child’s voice when they’re scared and call you with a problem. You’ve probably made a call like that to your mom too. You are the expert on your family.
This November, remember that your perspective matters and your vote is your own private decision. You may have heard from some of your friends that they don’t know enough about politics or the issues to vote.
Here’s what to tell those friends: trust your gut, because you hold a lot of power. You may not have much time to engage with the news, but you know better than anyone what your family needs: lower costs, a good education, and the freedom to make your own decisions. But our fundamental right to make those decisions are under attack.
HARRIS CALLS FOR ELIMINATING FILIBUSTER TO PASS 'ROE' ABORTION BILL INTO FEDERAL LAW
Since the overturn of Roe, one-third of American women live in a state with an abortion ban. There have been 65,000 pregnancies caused by rape in those states over that time. Doctors have seen a clear link between abortion restrictions and rising rates of maternal and infant mortality and declining standards of patient care. We’ve seen heartbreaking stories of women like Amber Thurman from Georgia, who died after being denied a lifesaving procedure, orphaning her 6-year-old son. There are so many stories just like Amber’s.
I’m sure you’ve heard about Project 2025 too. I know the Trump-Vance campaign has tried distancing themselves, but let’s be honest – it’s a to-do list. As any woman with a to-do list will tell you, you make one to cross things off.
Their list is scary: allowing hospitals to deny care to pregnant women in crisis; establishing a national surveillance system to report your personal medical data – data you rely on as you try to get pregnant or plan your family on your terms. Even if you live in a state that’s "safe," these proposals will impact you.
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In Michigan, I’ve spoken with hundreds of women across the political spectrum. In 2022, when I won re-election and Michiganders voted to enshrine reproductive freedom in our state constitution, Republican and Independent women turned out in record numbers. They came together to protect their rights. In a recent poll, a majority (53%) of Republican women between the ages of 18-49 supported a national law guaranteeing access to abortion. We’re united because politics has no place in the doctor’s office.
This November,10 states will vote on abortion rights and every state will vote for a president who will set the agenda on our health and our bodies. I encourage you to vote for Kamala Harris, the candidate that has championed reproductive freedom and the middle class. Your vote is your choice. You may not agree with me or Kamala Harris on everything, but our lifelong health and wealth depends on our ability to make our own decisions about our own bodies. Please join me to elect a leader who will build a brighter future for our girls – yours and mine.