The Democratic governor who led Michigan through the COVID-19 pandemic and vowed to battle “like hell” for abortion rights was re-elected by Michigan voters to serve another four years as governor.

Michigan’s largest population centers began to submit results early on November 9th, and by 1:21 a.m., the Associated Press declared Whitmer the winner. The Republican candidate, Tudor Dixon, a political rookie who was heavily outspent but managed to make the election competitive by appealing to voter resentment over inflation and violent crime, had created an unassailable lead over the first-term Democrat who had established an unbeatable lead.

Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, hailed Whitmer’s victory as an opportunity for her to “build on the progress of her first term and uplift Michigan for four more years.” Whitmer made a commitment to uphold her program at 8 a.m., with the support of fellow Democrats who won control of the Michigan House and Senate on Tuesday. “We’ll keep fighting to repeal the retirement tax so seniors can keep more of what they’ve earned. We will protect the Great Lakes for generations and ensure that every Michigander can pursue their potential from preschool to post secondary. And we’ll keep fighting like hell to protect fundamental rights, as they’ve continued to be under assault across the nation. We made huge strides yesterday, but that’s important to continue as well.”

Dixon wanted the election to be a referendum on Whitmer’s term. She called the governor’s COVID-19 order too restrictive and vowed to further cut restrictions on Michigan businesses to encourage more jobs. Whitmer helped establish herself as a pragmatic leader who guided the state through a series of crises in her first term, including the floods of the United States and social justice protests.  Whitmer also made abortion rights a key plank of her reelection campaign, after the U.S. Supreme Court in June reversed Roe v. Wade. Earlier this year, the Democratic incumbent successfully sued to block enforcement of a 1931 ban amid an ongoing legal fight over the law, which would make it a felony crime for physicians to perform an abortion.