With 69% of votes counted, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has officially been declared the winner of the Michigan gubernatorial race, according to the Associated Press.
Whitmer defeated her opponent, Tudor Dixon, by a margin of five points, with 51.7% to Dixon’s 46.7%.
Whitmer’s victory comes after a lengthy and sometimes tense campaign. This was also the first time two women sought the governor’s seat with nominations from major parties.
In her second term in office, Whitmer said she hopes to expand upon priorities from the past four years, including funding for public education, continuing job growth and helping Michiganders fight inflation.
Dixon has yet to concede and said in a statement earlier in the night that she was still hopeful for a win.
"This race is not over yet,” Dixon said in a statement. “We expect counting to continue into tomorrow in our major counties. This race has a long way to go."
Whitmer steadily polled and fundraised above Dixon throughout the course of the campaign season despite concerns that her actions during the COVID-19 pandemic would render her too unpopular to win.
Dixon, a former right-wing media personality, faced opposition from within her own party after winning the Republican primary in August and could not secure a consistent boost in support, even with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
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