Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has left the door open to running for president in 2028, saying she plans to take a break after completing eight years in office before deciding on her next political move.

Whitmer made the remarks in an interview with the Albuquerque Journal while campaigning in New Mexico for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland. Asked about her future after leaving the governor’s office, Whitmer said she intends to step away briefly before determining what comes next.

“I have been governor for eight years now,” Whitmer told the newspaper. “At the close of this calendar year, I will turn the keys over to my successor, and I look forward to taking a bit of a break, and then figuring out what’s next.”

She then made clear that a presidential campaign remains a possibility.

“So I don’t have anything to announce, but I’m also not gonna take anything off the table,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer, 55, is completing her second term as Michigan governor and is barred by term limits from seeking another consecutive term. Her tenure in a politically competitive state has helped establish her as a nationally recognized Democratic figure, and her name has repeatedly surfaced in discussions about the party’s next presidential nominee.

Her latest comments follow mixed signals about her intentions. In May, Whitmer initially said she would not run for president in 2028, only to walk back that statement hours later and say, “Never say never.” She has since emphasized that she has no announcement to make and intends to focus on finishing her time as governor before deciding what comes next.

Whitmer also said Democrats have a deep bench of potential presidential contenders and would benefit from a competitive nomination process. Other figures mentioned as possible candidates include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

For now, Whitmer has not declared a campaign or committed to entering the race. Her latest remarks leave open the possibility that the Michigan governor could seek the Democratic nomination after handing over the state’s leadership at the end of 2026.