Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: Report of 7-figure book deal 'not accurate'

Saginaw — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday she believes she'll write a book but that a national report that she had already signed a seven-figure contract for its publication was "not accurate."

The New York Post’s celebrity gossip column Page Six published a story Wednesday evening, saying Whitmer, a 52-year-old Democrat, is viewed as "a potential 'replacement' for aging President Joe Biden," 81, and that Simon & Schuster would publish her upcoming book through "a big, seven-figure" deal.

But appearing at an event in Saginaw on Thursday, Whitmer told reporters she didn't have a seven-figure book deal.

"I’ve always said at some point, I am going to write a book," the second-term governor added. "When I’ve got something to announce and share, I’ll make sure you know.”

Asked to explain why Page Six would report about a deal if there wasn't one, Whitmer acknowledged she is "seriously contemplating" what her book would be.

“That thing on Page Six was not accurate," Whitmer said.

Simon & Schuster, which describes itself as a "a leading international publisher," didn't respond Thursday to a request for comment.

Whitmer, a former state lawmaker from East Lansing, was first elected Michigan's governor in 2018. She won a second term in 2022, defeating Republican Tudor Dixon by about 10 percentage points, 54%-44%.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Michigan in 2020, Whitmer has increasingly gained national attention as she repeatedly clashed with former President Donald Trump, as Biden considered her as a potential running mate and as she helped Democrats win control of the state Legislature for the first time in 40 years in 2022.

Whitmer has been floated by some experts as a potential future Democratic candidate for president.

Before her reelection, Whitmer told The Detroit News in October 2022 she would serve a full four-year term in the governor's office, which would end in 2026.

David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University, said the timing of Whitmer's reported book deal was interesting because it came in the middle of her second term. Often, politicians pen memoirs about their time in office that come after their terms are finished, Dulio noted.

"Usually, you see politicians do books to try to boost their earned media," Dulio said. "And it often generates coverage. It gets them on the talk show circuit. It tells people about their leadership and vision."

In an interview that aired in December with WKAR-TV’s Off the Record anchor Tim Skubick, Whitmer said she might at some point write an autobiography, but there could be "a short book to write maybe sooner, talking about different pieces of my philosophy."

A poll of likely Michigan voters commissioned this month by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV found Whitmer was winning in a hypothetical matchup against Trump, 49%-45%. Biden, the Democratic incumbent president, was losing to 77-year-old Trump among the same group of participants, 39%-47%.

The survey, conducted by the Lansing-based Glengariff Group, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

On Monday, Whitmer told reporters she believed Biden could still win Michigan in November. Biden defeated Trump in the state by 3 percentage points in November 2020.

"This president has delivered on some really important fronts," Whitmer said. "People are not paying attention to every little thing. They're just trying to make sure they keep the heat on and get their kids off to school.

"I think when there's a matchup, it will be much clearer who's fighting for people, and I think this president has a great record on that front."

Whitmer's sixth State of the State address is scheduled for Wednesday night.

Under a new financial disclosure law in Michigan, Whitmer would likely have to disclose the reported book deal at some point as an outside source of earned income.

cmauger@detroitnews.com