DETROIT — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told Michigan Democrats they need to abandon advocacy speak and connect with voters using ordinary language as he joined outgoing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Saturday at the Michigan Democratic Party's Legacy Dinner.
The event honored Whitmer's nearly eight years in office at the Huntington Place convention center downtown. Guests wore large pink signs that read "Thank you, Big Gretch" while speakers praised the term-limited governor's work.
"This is what I call our legacy," Whitmer said of Democratic wins over the past eight years. "This is what's at stake in the next election."
Whitmer highlighted Democratic control of the Legislature and executive branch during 2023-2024, when the party made investments in roads, cut taxes for some retirees, and boosted state subsidies for school meals, pre-K, and college tuition.
Beshear, who won re-election in the usually Republican state of Kentucky in 2023, made the case for a more approachable Democratic Party. He advocated for simpler language to connect with voters instead of what he called advocacy speak.
"I know this is the path back for the Democratic Party: Focus, talk like a normal human being and lead by sharing your why," Beshear said.
The Kentucky governor pointed to specific examples, suggesting Democrats use the word hungry instead of food insecure, inmates instead of justice involved population, and addiction instead of substance abuse disorder.
"I know this is the path back for the Democratic Party: Focus, talk like a normal human being and lead by sharing your why," Beshear said.
The language Democrats have used in the past came about for a good reason, in an effort to reduce stigma, Beshear said, but it sometimes comes across as talking down to people.
"We need our language to reflect what we feel in our bones and what we're trying every single day to do: To make life a little bit better for our people," Beshear said. "We as the party have let advocacy speak seep into our Democratic language."
"If we want to be a party of the people, we've got to talk like we are the people," Beshear added.
He added that Republicans' focus on the economy may have been one of the reasons for President Donald Trump's success in 2024.
"I believe that Donald Trump won because he was able to convince that last group of undecided voters that he'd be less focused on culture war issues and more focused on lowering costs and addressing inflation," Beshear said. "Now I don't think that that was fair and it's also the exact opposite of what he's doing right now."
The Kentucky governor vowed that he and Whitmer, as leaders of the Democratic Governors Association, would help secure victory for Democrats in November and tipped his hat to the outgoing governor's work in Michigan over the past eight years.
"Gretchen knows that I don't curse in public because she does it enough for both of us," Beshear said, "but I'm going to mildly break my rule: Gretchen Whitmer has been a damn good governor."
Both Whitmer and Beshear are considered by some Democrats to be potential 2028 presidential candidates.
Whitmer, for her part, highlighted the number of seats up for grabs in November, arguing the stakes just don't get higher than this. She also warned that progress made over the past nearly eight years could slip away without renewed organizing efforts among the party faithful.
"The other side isn't taking any days off. They think this is their year to win big. They think Betsy DeVos can buy this state," Whitmer said, referencing the west Michigan billionaire GOP megadonor and former U.S. education secretary. "Well, guess what? They're wrong and we're going to prove it."
Michigan Republicans are preparing for a very contested cycle as Mike Duggan runs as an independent.
"With Mike Duggan running as an independent, we're simply not going to have a wave election on either side," said Democratic Michigan Party Chairman Tom Runestad. "I think he's going to take a lot more Democratic votes than Republican votes. It's our job to inspire and fire up the base and that's what I'm concentrating on."