evidence: Gretchen Whitmer (born August 23, 1971, East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.) is an American Democratic politician and lawyer who serves as governor of Michigan (2019– ). She previously was a member of the state’s House of Representatives (2001–06) and Senate (2006–15). In 2020 Whitmer was the target of a foiled kidnapping plot. [...] During her campaign, Whitmer called for job creation and more funding for education. She also focused on infrastructure and repeatedly pledged to "fix the damn roads." Although liberal, Whitmer adopted a campaign platform that was more moderate than the other Democratic candidates’ platforms. She also expressed a willingness to compromise. That strategy proved popular with voters, as she won the party primary and went on to easily defeat the Republican nominee, Bill Schuette, in the 2018 general election. Whitmer was sworn into office in 2019. During her first year, she oversaw a bipartisan bill that lowered car insurance rates, and she became the first governor to announce a ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. However, her proposal to raise the gas tax in order to fund road improvements was rejected by Republicans.