Whitmer: ‘Big Achievements Require Collaboration’

• Collaboration remains essential, even in a divided environment. 

• Talent, affordability, and quality of life drive Michigan’s competitiveness. 

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hopes she is remembered as a governor grounded in people and place. 

In her last Mackinac Policy Conference keynote address as Michigan’s Governor, Gretchen Whitmer revisited her many achievements in office, including factories, foundations, education, and, of course, the damn roads. 

Whitmer centered her 2026 Conference keynote on collaboration as the essential driver of Michigan’s progress, arguing that “big achievements require collaboration” and pointing to her bipartisan legislative record and budgets as proof that government can still work across divides. She underscored that solving major issues — from economic competitiveness to infrastructure and education — depends on rebuilding trust and choosing common ground over partisanship. 

She highlighted tangible outcomes from that approach, outlining progress across her “five Fs”: 

• Factory investments
• Strong Foundations for Michigan’s workforce and children
• Helping people’s Finances with job access and lowering costs
• Fixed the damn roads
• Protecting fundamental Freedoms for all

At the same time, the governor acknowledged ongoing challenges, including housing shortages, literacy gaps, economic pressures tied to global markets, and strained trade relationships. In closing, she called on leaders to continue working together on priorities like housing, competitiveness, and literacy, stressing that Michigan’s future depends less on policy alone and more on a shared commitment to collaboration, civic responsibility, and putting the state first. 

During her fireside chat with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Tricia A. Keith, Whitmer emphasized that she is focused on completing her current term and not engaging in speculation about her political future, stating she is “not making plans” and does not want “any distractions as I wrap up my eight years as governor.”

She acknowledged the challenges of a closely divided legislature but framed it as an opportunity to “under-promise and over-deliver” in areas like housing, literacy, and medical debt as key areas where bipartisan collaboration is achievable.  

Whitmer repeatedly returned to the importance of trust in government and partnerships, cautioning that “you earn trust by the teaspoon, but you can lose it by the bucket,” and emphasizing that progress depends on “not what you say, but what you do” as leaders work to rebuild credibility and find common ground. 

Whitmer also highlighted workforce development and economic competitiveness as central to Michigan’s future, stressing that employers consistently ask, “are you gonna have the people I need?” and underscoring efforts to expand access to credentials and career pathways. She tied population growth and retention to quality-of-life factors such as “a great quality of life… good job opportunities… [and] housing available,” while pointing to emerging investments in technology and artificial intelligence, noting “these entities are going to get built, period, so let’s build them here and let’s do it right.”  

In closing, the 49th Governor of Michigan described her optimism as rooted in everyday Michiganders and how she hopes to be remembered by: 

“I’ve always put the people of Michigan first, and I hope that’s what people remember… that ‘she always put Michigan first.’” 

This session was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.