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Articles on Gretchen Whitmer

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Massachusetts Gov.-elect Maura Healey, at a Democratic election night party Nov. 8, 2022, in Boston. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

A record-breaking number of women were elected governor in 2022 – here are 7 things to know about how that happened

Many factors contributed to a record number of women winning the governor’s office in 2022. Among them: It helps to have political experience.
Barry Croft Jr., left, and Adam Fox were found guilty by a federal jury on charges related to a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Witmer. Kent County Sheriff's Office via AP

Conviction of two Michigan kidnap plotters highlights danger of violent conspiracies to US democracy

Two men accused of planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 have been found guilty. Their backgrounds and the trial itself raise concerns about the role of extremism in America.
In this April 2020 photo, protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Mich. A plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor has put a focus on the security of governors in the United States. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Right-wing extremism: The new wave of global terrorism

Is right-wing violent extremism the new fifth wave of modern terrorism? If so, there’s no doubt the impacts of COVID-19 will only help accelerate the radicalization of its adherents.
Pete Musico, left, is one of the founding members of the Wolverine Watchmen, as is Joseph Morrison, right. Both were charged in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office via AP) Jackson County Sheriff’s Office via AP

Plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor grew from the militia movement’s toxic mix of constitutional falsehoods and half-truths

A scholar of militia movements describes the ‘peculiar’ – and erroneous – principles that right-wing militias subscribe to, including believing themselves to be defenders of the Bill of Rights.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who did not issue a stay-at-home order for his state until April 1, 2020. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Democratic governors are quicker in responding to the coronavirus than Republicans

When US governors declared a state of emergency is likely pivotal in mitigating how hard COVID-19 hits their states. And it turns out that one party’s governors made those decisions more quickly.

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