The State News: What first inspired you to want to run for governor? What was your thought process at that moment?

Gretchen Whitmer: That we deserve better. Really, it’s that basic. I love the state of Michigan, I love the people of Michigan and I’m tired of watching politicians politicize problems instead of solving them, and I think we deserve better.

TSN: Was there a specific moment where you thought, ‘Oh, I should just run for governor, I should fix this myself?’

GW: I think it was the Flint water crisis, where you see so many people paying a price for poor government, poor leadership, and I think that was maybe the final straw.

TSN: What do you think of the current state of higher education and college tuition? What are your policies going to be involving that?

GW: I think we need to work to make higher education more accessible for more people, and that starts with making it less costly and ensuring that students can get the education they need without taking on crippling debt or avoiding school altogether because it’s just too darn expensive.

TSN: Do you think you’ll meet with Republican opposition regarding that in the House and Senate, and if so how will you deal with that?

GW: Yeah, of course, I anticipate working with anyone who really wants to make sure Michigan’s got the educated talent that we need to make sure that our economy grows.

TSN: Has it been a goal of yours for awhile to run for governor?

GW: No (laughs). I really did, when I left the legislature, thought I was done in public service, and I figured out pretty quickly that I’ve got a low tolerance for poor management. I wanted to get in and be part of the solution.

TSN: If you are elected, what are your main goals for policy? What would you want to achieve first and foremost?

GW: I think to ensure that our education system works so that our people are as well educated as any other state in this country, and better educated, frankly. That we’ve got the talent, the concentration of talent that’s necessary to grow our economy and to sustain our families.

TSN: You talked a bit about Gov. (Rick) Snyder, which of his policies do you agree with and which of his do you disagree with? What first and foremost would you change based on the way the government’s been run in the last eight years?

GW: Well, I’d fix Flint. I’d get rid of the emergency manager law on steroids that they enacted. I would hope to continue on with the expansion of the Affordable Care Act in Michigan, and I think that I would reverse the trend of taking money out of our schools.

TSN: Speaking of schools, what are your thoughts on Betsy DeVos being (confirmed) as Secretary of Education?

GW: Considering that Michigan schools lag the nation in large part due to the DeVos policies, it’s astonishing that they would want to export that to the other 49 states.

TSN: What do you think about the state of politics in 2017 and the partisan divide? What can be done to fix that?

GW: I think it’s important to not take anyone for granted. I want to engage with Bernie (Sanders) supporters, I want to engage with (Hillary) Clinton supporters and I want to engage with (President Donald) Trump supporters. I think it’s important that we build a platform that reflects what people across the state want and need to see from their government, and so I don’t take anyone or any vote for granted.

TSN: Sort of in that vein, I believe Michigan went red in this (presidential) election for the first time (since 1988), and I was wondering how you think you can reach out back to those voters who felt they needed to go red in the last election, how are you going to pull them back to the blue?

GW: I don’t think that people voted from Barack Obama to Donald Trump because we had a massive change here in Michigan and that people endorse the rhetoric from this campaign. I think it was from frustration and the fact that there are still a lot of people in Michigan that are suffering, and I think it’s important to show everyone the respect of getting to every community across the state and actually engaging with people and listening.

TSN: What issues on the national level are currently essential to you and your politics?

GW: I think that the Trump policies on immigration are very concerning for a state, especially like Michigan with such a diverse population that we benefit from. It’s important to have this great population that we have and to be a welcoming state, and I think that we’ve got a lot of work to do on all the stuff that’s coming from the Trump administration.

TSN: I was at the Women’s March as well and I’ve noticed a lot of your rhetoric towards Trump so far is that you need to oppose him when he’s wrong, but at the same time respect the office. What are your thoughts on the Trump administration so far?

GW: Disaster. (laughs) It’s hard to believe how much damage they have caused in such a short period of time. I fear that people are going to lose faith in government altogether, and that’s really a very dangerous thing. I’m very worried about what the Trump administration is going to mean, but I am absolutely committed to working to make sure that Michigan is a place where people are respected and protected, and that we lead the nation again.

TSN: As governor, what would you do to oppose the things that you oppose in the Trump administration?

GW: Well, I think to take a stand, to not let the president bully us into letting Michigan law enforcement become an extension of what I think is an unconstitutional immigration policy for instance.

TSN: What are your thoughts on the other potential Democratic competitors for governor, such as (Abdul El-Sayed)?

GW: At this point it’s early on, I anticipate the field will grow, the field may shrink, we’ll see what happens. All I know is that I’m in this for the long haul.

TSN: On the other side of the aisle, what do you think about a potential candidacy for (Michigan Attorney General) Bill Schuette?

GW: I think it would be a real substantive debate on issues that I am eager to have.

TSN: So what would your plan and policies be on fixing Flint?

GW: I think that instead of putting money into our savings account as a state, we owe it to the people of Flint to rip the pipes out and to fix the infrastructure problem.

TSN: What are your views on Line 5 currently, and if you wished to, what would you do to fix it when you’re governor?

GW: It’s stunning to think that we’ve got oil pumping through the Great Lakes, and I think that that’s a real problem, one that we need to fix. We’ve been lousy stewards of our water in Michigan because we’ve been so spoiled to have so much of it, and it’s time for us to lead the nation, not lag it, on water policy.

TSN: So would you be in favor of eliminating (the pipeline) should you become governor?

GW: I would be in favor of, yes, decommissioning Line 5.