MCO Endorses Gretchen Whitmer

Candidate vows to give front-line workers a seat at the table

After careful consideration and review, the Michigan Corrections Organization has endorsed Democrat Gretchen Whitmer for Governor of Michigan.

Whitmer, the former Minority Leader of the Michigan State Senate, has been a long-time advocate of corrections and forensic officers and has demonstrated a lasting commitment to working people over an illustrious career that began in the Michigan House of Representatives in 2001.

“Since her first election, Gretchen Whitmer has been a friend to MCO.  She opposes privatization, values the work that corrections officers and FSAs do every day and agrees that changes are needed to deal with the persistent staffing crisis plaguing the MDOC,” said MCO Executive Director Andy Potter.  “She understands our issues and is willing to work with us to find solutions to important problems like recruitment and retention and Post-Traumatic Stress among officers.”

When it comes to criminal justice reform, Whitmer believes front-line staff should have a seat at the table.

“These professionals spend more time with prisoners than anyone else, but they haven’t been asked for their views,” Whitmer said. “I’m proud to work with MCO to utilize the skills and expertise of our corrections officers to keep Michigan moving forward and ensure the safety and health of everyone impacted by the criminal justice system”.

The endorsement of Gretchen Whitmer follows a sustained effort by MCO to work with candidates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

More information on how endorsements are made and who earned our endorsement will be in the 2018 MCO endorsement guide, which will be emailed to all members’ home email addresses and posted on the website soon.

Throughout the member driven endorsement process, MCO reached out to candidates of both major political parties and invited them to seek our endorsement. Unfortunately, the Republican gubernatorial candidates chose not to respond despite repeated attempts at engagement.

We understand that your vote is your own but hope you will consider voting for Gretchen Whitmer in November. If you have not registered to vote in the Nov. 6, 2018 general election you can do so by visiting http://www.michigan.gov/vote.