click to enlarge Screengrab

Gretchen Whitmer appears in her first digital ad.

In her first online ad, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer aims to introduce herself to a wider audience.Dubbed "In Your Corner," the one and a half minute-long spot features Whitmer talking directly to the camera while walking through various locations — touting her hard-working roots, laying out her priorities as governor, and even getting her family to make a cameo.While she does not mention any of her gubernatorial rivals, Whitmer does call out Republicans by name, blasting Gov. Rick Snyder's corporate tax giveaways and President Donald Trump's attacks on healthcare."In the state that invented the middle class, too many families haven’t had a raise in years," Whitmer says in the ad. "I'm tired of seeing corporations get more tax breaks while you get hit with a retirement tax."A poll released late last year found Whitmer and Republican frontrunner Bill Schuette to be neck and neck, though with 64 percent reporting they did not recognize Whitmer's name. Only 24 percent of those polled reported not recognizing Schuette's name, although Schuette has earned himself plenty of headlines — from his hardline anti-medical marijuana stance to fighting same-sex marriage.You can watch the spot below:

Stay on top of Detroit news and views. Sign up for our weekly issue newsletter delivered each Wednesday.