Gretchen Whitmer’s Water Distribution Site in Benton Harbor Sits Empty While Governor Travels to Campaign in Virginia

October 22, 2021

Lansing, Mich., October 22, 2021 – Amid a worsening water crisis in Benton Harbor, Governor Whitmer is leaving the State of Michigan this weekend to campaign for Democratic candidates in Virginia. This afternoon, a line of residents attempting to obtain bottled water from a state-run water distribution site were confused when no officials were present to distribute water. Residents sought information from reporters before eventually leaving after waiting for hours without any state officials on-site.

While in Virginia, Gretchen Whitmer will be supporting Terry McAuliffe, who has stated that parents should not be in charge of their childrens’ education, and Mark Herring, who infamously admitted to sporting black face.

Whitmer’s trip out of town, as her administration fails to deliver water to residents of Benton Harbor, is a dereliction of duty. The Governor’s out-of-state travel has caused controversy throughout her first term in office, including trips to Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Florida during the heights of the pandemic – while locking down Michigan and urging residents not to travel.

“As Whitmer’s administration fails to deliver clean water in Benton Harbor, she’s abandoning the state to campaign,” said Eric Ventimiglia, Executive Director for Michigan Rising Action. Ventimiglia continued, “While volunteers in Benton Harbor are going door to door delivering water to vulnerable residents in need, Gretchen Whitmer is going door to door in Virginia supporting racist, anti-parent Democratic candidates. Whitmer is once again putting politics and her national profile first and abandoning Michiganders when they need her leadership most.”