Michigan’s top politicians sit on the DNC. So who governs the state?
Meanwhile, “back at the ranch,” the question arises: Who was the incumbent governor?
FOX 2 – Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will once again be in the national spotlight at the Democratic National Convention – and all week, the state’s top officials have been in Chicago for the celebrations.
At home, however, some legal questions arise as to who will assume the role of acting governor in the absence of high-ranking officials.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has come a long way since her first job in state government, when she was just an intern.
“I was an intern and when I graduated from State University, I was hired,” she said. “I did a lot of constituent work for a number of legislators.”
In other words, she answered the phone and wrote letters. On Thursday night, she will take the call to convince the convention to support the Harris-Walz candidate.
Governors from other states were allowed to speak at the DNC in Chicago, but their speeches were relegated to other, less important days of the week.
And they certainly missed the high-octane closing ceremony that Whitmer will have at her disposal.
Meanwhile, “back at the ranch,” the question arises as to who the incumbent governor was. Not Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist.
Neither Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson nor Attorney General Dana Nessel, who spoke at the DNC on Wednesday evening.
Also at the DNC are high-ranking Democrats: Senator Jeremy Moss of Southfield and Speaker of the House Joe Tate of Detroit. They are all in the line of succession to the governor, but all hail from Chicago, so the line of succession ends with the state treasurer.
In her place, State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks is now the acting governor.
Some lawyers disagree on whether this is legal because she is an appointed, not elected, official.
However, Eubanks is not expected to make any major decisions as she awaits the return of the legitimately elected governor after her appearance in the national spotlight.
