As reported by The Midwesterner on Tuesday, Michigan’s top elected officials in Lansing are out of the state for the purpose of attending events such as the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, and Speaker of the House Joe Tate are all in the Windy City this week.

The only question remaining was the location of Attorney General Dana Nessel and whether the woman fourth in the line of succession of the governor’s office was temporarily in command.

Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial

MORE NEWS: Tudor Dixon, John James top GOP governor picks for 2026; Pete Buttigieg, Jocelyn Benson for Democrats

Close

That question was answered Tuesday. In a post on X, Nessel confirmed she was in New York to participate in a panel discussion with the attorneys general of New York, Illinois and California.

While the state’s top Democrats are cavorting at conventions and panel discussions, the state, as it turns out, was in the hands of an unelected bureaucrat.
In response to an X post by Mark Brewer, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, Rep. Jennifer M. Hill, D-Marquette, said she was told by Gilchrist that “Director Eubanks” would be in charge while everyone else was away. Hill was referring to Rachael Eubanks, who was appointed director of the State Treasury by Whitmer in 2019.

https://twitter.com/jmhill926/status/1825901415123804224?s=43&t=CpiDDVgx8CP3JE3hAtL8zw

In 1963, the line of succession was adopted into the Michigan Constitution. It states:

Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial

Who do you think will win the Presidential election in November?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from The Midwesterner, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

“In case of the conviction of the governor on impeachment, his removal from office, his resignation or his death, the lieutenant governor, the elected secretary of state, the elected attorney general and such other persons designated by law shall in that order be governor for the remainder of the governor’s term.

“In case of the death of the governor-elect, the lieutenant governor-elect, the secretary of state-elect, the attorney general-elect and such other persons designated by law shall become governor in that order at the commencement of the governor-elect’s term.

“If the governor or the person in line of succession to serve as governor is absent from the state, or suffering under an inability, the powers and duties of the office of the governor shall devolve in order of precedence until the absence or inability giving rise to the devolution of powers ceases.