Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stumped for Democratic candidates in Rochester, Michigan, on October 28, 2026, as the 2026 election season draws to a close. Whitmer joined former prosecutor Christina Hines in Rochester, part of Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, to support Democrats running for various offices. She also campaigned alongside outgoing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham), Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), and Theresa Brooks, who is running for Michigan’s 9th Senate District, a key battleground seeking to unseat incumbent Sen. Michael Webber (R-Rochester Hills).
Hines faces U.S. Army Capt. Mike Bouchard Jr., who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. He is the son of Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard. Michigan’s 10th Congressional District encompasses southern Macomb County and a portion of eastern Oakland County, including Rochester and Rochester Hills. The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township), who opted against seeking reelection to run for governor.
Whitmer has campaigned alongside Democrats across the country through her role as vice chair of the Democratic Governor’s Association. She told reporters that people across the nation are feeling the squeeze from Trump’s tariff policies and high fuel prices due to the war in Iran. “Whether I am talking to a sugar beet farmer in Saginaw, Michigan, or I am in Arizona with Katie Hobbs or Ohio with Dr. Amy Acton, people are all feeling the stress of how expensive everything is,” Whitmer said. “And that’s why, as you heard me talking with my fellow Michiganders here, you know we’ve got to make sure that we are listening and plotting a way to help people keep more money in their pockets because all the stress in Washington, D.C., is going to continue for the next two years, unfortunately.”
Hines emphasized that as a 36-year-old mother of three, she has felt the impact from the Trump administration’s policies, drawing a contrast between herself, James, and her opponent. “The reality is that people don’t want another version of John James, another rubber stamp, which is all that Michael Bouchard Jr. is. He has explicitly said that there’s not a single thing that he disagrees with Donald Trump over,” Hines said, citing a Feb. 19 Inside Elections article. “He wants to continue Trump’s policies when he’s in Washington and be his ally. That is not what we need. That would hurt Michiganders. It would hurt the people in our district,” Hines continued.
