09/05/2026
Benson wants to be Whitmer 2.0.
Whitmer’s Legacy in Question as Approval Falls and Detroit Ranks Unhappiest of 182 U.S. Cities
LANSING, Mich. — As Governor Gretchen Whitmer enters the final stretch of her eight years in office and begins defining her legacy, Michigan voters and national rankings are offering a much less flattering picture. Her approval has fallen sharply, families continue dealing with higher energy and gasoline costs, and Detroit has now ranked 182nd out of 182 major U.S. cities for happiness.
An Emerson College/WLNS survey released this summer found Whitmer’s approval among likely Democratic primary voters had fallen from 79% in April to 62% in late July, a 17-point drop in just a few months.
That decline is especially notable because it came from voters in her own party.
Whitmer’s broader approval also slipped over the summer as Michigan residents continued feeling pressure from the cost of everyday necessities.
Energy has become one of the biggest complaints.
Michigan’s motor-fuel tax increased from 31 cents to 52.4 cents per gallon at the beginning of 2026. The state also eliminated the 6% sales tax on motor fuel at the same time, so the overall tax impact at the pump is more complicated than simply calling it a 69% increase.
Gas prices themselves have also remained a problem.
Earlier this year, Whitmer’s administration declared a statewide energy emergency after Michigan’s average gasoline price climbed from $2.99 to $3.89 per gallon.
Then there is Detroit.
WalletHub’s 2026 Happiest Cities in America study compared 182 of the largest cities in the country using 29 different indicators, including emotional and physical well-being, income, employment, health, sleep, commute times and leisure.
Detroit finished 182nd out of 182.
Dead last.
The city also ranked near the bottom in emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and other quality-of-life measures used in the study.
None of that means Whitmer personally caused every problem in Detroit, every increase in gasoline prices or every higher utility bill.
But governors do not get to claim every ribbon cutting, investment announcement and positive economic statistic as proof their policies are working, then dismiss every negative number as someone else’s responsibility.
Whitmer has spent years telling Michigan residents the state is moving forward.
Now, as she begins shaping the story of her own legacy, voters have every right to look past the speeches and judge the results for themselves.
Falling approval, higher household costs and Detroit ranking unhappiest out of 182 major U.S. cities are not exactly the numbers Whitmer will want defining her legacy.
