Michigan Matters: Influential voices emanating from Mackinac Island

As 1,500 leaders from politics, business and sports gravitated to Mackinac Island for the 2026 Detroit Regional Chamber Policy Conference, it was four well-known Michiganders — former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Mayor Mary Sheffield, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and former Mayor Mike Duggan — whose voices resonated.

Those four leaders appear in one-on-one conversations on CBS Detroit's Michigan Matters this Sunday to discuss their political futures and the road ahead in the 2026 midterms, with the 2028 presidential contest right around the corner.

Buttigieg has been in the national headlines since the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor first ran for president. He would go on to become transportation secretary under President Biden and is now among the Democratic frontrunners in early polling in the 2028 presidential contest.

Buttigieg, now a resident of Traverse City, Michigan, with his family, was asked about running for president and the timeline for any decision.

He also asked about Michigan's efforts to move up in the Democratic presidential primary in 2028 to become one of the first four states.

Whitmer, who is term-limited, was asked about her intentions and whether she might consider a run as a Democratic candidate in 2028. 

Whitmer, a finalist for the vice presidential job under Biden before he chose Kamala Harris, discussed it during our Thursday interview, where she took herself out of the running.

But as things go in the bombastic world of politics, Whitmer had a change of heart later that day and decided to go with a 'never say never' answer to the question.

Whitmer, a star on the national political stage, aided in part by President Trump, who called her "that woman from Michigan," is serving as National Vice Chair of the Democratic Governors Association alongside Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who is serving as Chair. She is traveling the country to help get Democrats elected.

Whitmer talked about the Democrats' challenge in the months and years ahead as Trump winds down his time in the White House.

Duggan, who had equally scared the bejesus out of Democrats and Republicans alike until two weeks ago as the former Detroit mayor who left the Democratic Party to run as an independent candidate for governor this year, stunned with the news that he was dropping out days before the conference.

His decision impacts both the Democratic and Republican fields for that job.

Duggan, a formidable candidate who defied long odds by being elected mayor of Detroit in 2013 in a write-in campaign, was leading in some recent gubernatorial polls until a drop began to occur as the Iraq war and skyrocketing gas prices took hold.

Duggan saw the writing on the wall as voters who had been supporting him returned to their respective parties, leading him to pull the plug on his campaign.

Duggan was also asked what comes next for him.

Sheffield, who won an easy victory in 2025 and is the first woman to hold that job, talks about tidings in her city.

She mentioned bond rating upgrades — reaching Moody's (A3) and Standard & Poor's (BBB+) — and the far-reaching impact they will have.

Sheffield also discussed recent population gains in Detroit and what's ahead for the Motor City.

(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD). 

(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan Matters).