Kathleen Gray, and Paul Egan

Detroit Free Press

Former Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer became the first candidate to officially jump into the 2018 election pool Tuesday, by filing paperwork with the Secretary of State to set up a committee to run for governor.

It wasn’t a big announcement or the beginning of a speaking tour around the state. Rather, filing the paperwork is a prerequisite for Whitmer if she wants to begin accepting financial contributions to her campaign.

"This is going to be a 22-month campaign, so it’s a marathon," Whitmer told the Free Press Wednesday. "I'll be making sure that I’m getting around the state and engaging with people, building a network and platform that includes economic opportunity for everyone."

In an e-mail to supporters Tuesday, Whitmer said she is "no stranger to fights," including ones to "protect workers' rights, ... level the playing field," and "protect kids and to hold government accountable."

Whitmer, an East Lansing Democrat, said Michiganders deserve a leader who will be honest with the people of the state.

"I’m running for governor because we need a leader who is unafraid to level with the people of this state and one who can come up with bold solutions to the issues that we face," she said. "For too long, our leaders have failed us.You don’t have to look beyond the Flint water crisis for proof of a fundamental failure of government. For 985 days, people in Flint still can’t turn on their taps and get drinking water and that definies all of us."

Gisgie Gendreau, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Secretary of State's Office confirmed the officer received a statement of organization from Whitmer Tuesday afternoon.

A more formal announcement is expected in the next couple months, Whitmer said.

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The filing is not a surprise. Whitmer has been saying for months that she was considering a run to succeed Gov. Rick Snyder, an Ann Arbor Republican who can’t run again because of term limits.

But she becomes the first of what will surely be a crowded field of candidates to fill an open gubernatorial seat. Other potential candidates are U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, and Republicans Attorney General Bill Schuette, of Midland, and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley of Portland. All have said they’re contemplating a run for the seat.

Kildee will make a decision about the race in the coming months, said his spokesman Mitch Rivard.

"Congressman Kildee appreciates the encouragement he is getting from across the state to run for Governor. Right now, he is focused on representing his constituents in Congress, and in the coming months he will make a decision about where he can do the most good for Michigan families," he said in a statement.

Schuette spokesman John Sellek said the AG believes Michigan families are focused on their families during the holidays and Schuette "will keep his focus on his job by working for justice in Flint, supporting the victims of human trafficking and teaming up with local law enforcement to find and prosecute criminals tied to abandoned rape evidence kits."

Calley declined comment.

Although she’s been out of state office since 2015, after leaving the Senate because of term limits, Whitmer was appointed to fill the vacant Ingham County Prosecutor’s spot in May of 2016 through the end of the year after then Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings announced his resignation after being charged and ultimately convicted of soliciting prostitutes.

Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel issued a statement describing Whitmer as a "career politician" and criticizing her for filing for governor so soon after leaving the Ingham prosecutor's office.

“Gretchen Whitmer would be a disastrous return to the unsuccessful policies of the (former Democratic Gov. Jennifer) Granholm era where jobs and families were fleeing our state and unemployment skyrocketed," McDaniel said. "Whitmer, a staunch Granholm ally while in the Legislature, would be a step backward for our state."

Whitmer also contemplated a run for Attorney General in 2009 and for Governor in 2013, but dropped those plans because of family concerns at the time.

"The biggest difference this year is my family and I are 100% in and we’re ready," she said. "That’s the first gut check question. We’re impatient. We watched the state continue to struggle and we want to be part of the solution."

She’s also been a fixture on the Democratic club circuit around the state, making appearances to Democratic Party and .other progressive organizations across Michigan and speaking out consistently on social media.

The day after the Nov. 8 election, she wrote on Facebook, “Today, I'm angry. But tomorrow, I am moving forward because I am more determined than ever to fight for a better Michigan that respects one another, that celebrates our differences while valuing our shared strengths, and believes that each and every one of us deserves the opportunity to succeed.”

Whitmer is a former state Representative, serving from 2001-2006 when she ran to fill a vacancy created by then Sen. Virg Bernero, who left his seat to become mayor of Lansing. She served in the Senate from 2006-2014, where she became a frequent and loud voice of opposition to Republican policies.

Whitmer got national attention and a stronger voice on issues surrounding women’s health concerns after a 2013 speech on the Senate floor in which she told her personal story of being raped more than 20 years ago to illustrate her opposition to a bill that would require people to buy an additional rider to their insurance to get an abortion covered.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal