Joe Biden endorses Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan's governor race

Marc Daalder | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Gretchen Whitmer: People are so frustrated with our roads Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer talks about her plan to fix Michigan's roads

Gretchen Whitmer, Democratic candidate for governor of Michigan, picked up the endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

"Michigan’s middle class families need a governor who knows how to get things done, and that’s why I’m endorsing Gretchen," Biden said in a statement released by Whitmer's campaign.

"Gretchen has spent her whole life getting real results for the middle class, whether it was raising the minimum wage, or working to expand Medicaid," the statement said. "Gretchen’s got a real plan to fix the roads in Michigan and get our kids the skills they need to compete for good paying jobs. That’s exactly the kind of leadership Michigan needs in the governor’s office right now, and it’s why I’m so proud to be in Gretchen’s corner."

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He is expected to stump for Whitmer in southeast Michigan, according to the Whitmer campaign.

President Obama, with Biden on his ticket, won Michigan in by nearly 17 percentage points in 2008 and by almost 10 percentage points in 2012. President Trump, who has endorsed Republican Bill Schuette for governor, won Michigan by 0.23 percentage points in 2016.