| Gretchen Whitmer Democratic · Exploring | vs | J.D. Vance Republican · Declared |
|---|---|---|
| 14.2% | Polling avg | 31.8% |
| +2.8 | 30-day change | -0.4 |
| +450 | Market line | -110 |
| $14.9M | Q2 raised | $41.2M |
| $18.3M | Cash on hand | $68.9M |
| 51% | Small dollar | 38% |
| 17% | Iowa | 34% |
| 15% | New Hampshire | 29% |
| 11% | South Carolina | 38% |
| 33 | Early-state staff | 77 |
| 9 | Field offices | 19 |
| Michigan | Home state | Ohio |
| 56 | Age | 43 |
Gretchen Whitmer in Brief
Michigan's term-limited governor is the field's clearest Midwestern general-election argument, with a labor-aligned coalition and the fastest momentum of any Democrat currently in the top tier.
Case for: Fastest polling gain in the field, deep UAW and building-trades relationships, and a blue-wall electability pitch that tests well with primary voters.
Case against: A late start leaves her cash on hand well behind the declared frontrunners, and her national name recognition still trails.
Full Gretchen Whitmer tracker →J.D. Vance in Brief
The sitting vice president enters the 2028 cycle as the closest thing the Republican field has to an incumbent, inheriting a national donor network and near-universal name recognition among primary voters.
Case for: Consolidated institutional support, the largest small-dollar file in the field, and a polling floor no rival has yet been able to crack.
Case against: Frontrunner status invites the full weight of the field's opposition research, and his numbers have drifted slightly in suburban and independent samples.
Full J.D. Vance tracker →