At Historic Event, Former Michigan Governors Unite to Urge Civility, Respect Over Divisiveness
Former Michigan Governors John Engler, Jim Blanchard and Jim Snyder came together in a call for civility on February 4, 2026.
Blanchard, Engler, Granholm and Snyder launch coalition, invite voters, businesses and organizations to help heal democracy with civility
LANSING, Mich. – Former Michigan Govs. Jim Blanchard, John Engler, Jennifer Granholm and Rick Snyder — Republicans and Democrats — today united for the first time and urged Michiganders to double down on civility, respect and goodwill even as they may disagree passionately about politics.
Held in Lansing, the historic event to launch the Michigan Civility Coalition was organized by Michiganders for Civic Resilience, Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement, Democracy Defense Project, Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.
Blanchard and Engler are board members of the Democracy Defense Project, a national nonprofit restoring trust in elections. Snyder and Granholm participated in today's forum at the invitation of Michiganders for Civic Resilience.
“The overwhelming majority of Michiganders trust our elections and have faith in our democracy, and we should all come together to build on that by showing respect toward one another even though we may disagree passionately about an issue,” said Blanchard, a Democrat who served as Michigan’s 45th governor from 1983 to 1991. “Through our work at the Democracy Defense Project, our bipartisan board of directors — Republicans and Democrats — travel across Michigan to highlight facts about Michigan’s elections that make them safe, secure and transparent for anyone to observe. What we’ve learned is that Michiganders of goodwill are listening to each other with open hearts and minds and disagreeing without disrespecting each other.”
“Regardless of background, Michiganders don’t want to see politicians call each other names, spread disinformation and divide Americans, and we believe that every Michigander can play a role in standing up for greater civility and respect,” said Engler, a Republican who served as Michigan’s 46th governor from 1991 to 2003. “As we approach the midterms this November, we expect to hear and see efforts from political operatives of every stripe trying to divide people, engage in personal attacks and even unfairly impact our elections. We can stand up for our democracy and the opportunity for every American to make their voices heard with respect, civility and goodwill.”
“Michigan and America are at our best when we listen with respect and assume good intentions in those we disagree with, and returning to this simple principle is critical to bridging the divides that we see all around us,” said Granholm, a Democrat who served as Michigan’s 47th governor from 2003 to 2011. “I join my fellow governors in urging all of us, regardless of where we stand politically, to talk to one another with kindness and listen with humility so we may find shared ground and do our part to heal our democracy. However challenging this may seem in today’s world of instantaneous tweets and even quicker judgment, we can do better if we put a commitment to civility at the heart of our interactions with one another.”
“All of us who want a more civil and respectful America need to come together and show that our great state and our great nation are stronger when we can differ without being disagreeable,” said Snyder, a Republican who served as Michigan’s 48th governor from 2011 to 2019. “My fellow governors and I saw time and time again that Michigan succeeds best when we have vigorous discussions that find common ground and a shared solution, not score political points or tear people down. Civility and respect are vital to our future and our success, and we thrive when we can dial down the hostility and the conflict, and operate with relentless positive action.”
The Michigan Civility Coalition is a group of individuals and organizations concerned about the state of politics and culture due to rising animosity and rancor in public discourse. The Coalition is committed to advocating for and practicing civil discourse in public life with the goal of bringing civility back to the public square. The Coalition’s guiding principles include:
Presuming goodwill, by approaching every interaction with the assumption that other participants are well-intentioned, have a genuine desire to understand, and are driven by a sincere commitment to contribute positively to the discussion.
Showing and sharing respect, by ensuring all interactions are conducted with dignity and refraining from personal attacks.
Leading with humility, where conversations begin by presuming that those with different opinions may have something to offer.
Listening with openness and setting aside preconceived notions to understand the full context of different perspectives.
Communicating clearly, respectfully and truthfully to promote meaningful exchanges.
In coming months, the Coalition will bring together individuals, organizations, businesses and institutions engaged in promoting civility in the public sphere and provide support for their work. The Coalition will also host events, hold trainings and provide resources promoting civility and respect in politics.
Roop Raj, anchor and host of The Pulse on Fox 2 News in Detroit, moderated the forum.
News Coverage of the Event
USA Today: Michigan’s Former Governors Issue Urgent Plea for Civility
Bridge Michigan (statewide): Ex-governors urge civility: Minneapolis 'could be any place in Michigan' - Bridge Michigan
MLive.com (statewide): Former Michigan governors urge political civility ahead of 2026 midterms - mlive.com
Detroit News (statewide): Former Michigan governors join together to call for civility, debates
Crain's Detroit (statewide): Michigan former governors unite in call for political civility | Crain's Detroit Business
WZZM (West Michigan): MI's former governors, Republican and Democratic, unite to launch Michigan Civility Coalition | wzzm13.com
FOX2 The Pulse (Metro Detroit, politics focus show): Former Michigan governors discuss civility & intersection of politics and music | FOX 2 Detroit
WILX (Mid-Michigan): Four former Michigan governors launch coalition to promote political civility
WNEM (Flint-Saginaw): Call for Civility in Today’s Politics Bipartisan forum
WWMT3 (West/SW Michigan): Ex-governors Granholm, Snyder, Blanchard and Engler call for civility in politics
9&10 News (Northern Michigan-Upper Peninsula): Former MI governors make plea for political civility after Minnesota violence – 910News.com
Michigan Advance (statewide): Is civility still attainable in the era of Trump? Four Michigan governors think it’s possible • Michigan Advance
Michigan Advance (statewide, guest comment): Civility isn’t enough: Michigan’s former governors must confront America’s democratic crisis • Michigan Advance
Grand Haven Tribune (West Michigan): Former Michigan governors join together to call for civility, debates | State | grandhaventribune.com
Lansing City Pulse (Lansing-Capitol area): Four former governors appear in Lansing | City Pulse
Daily Mining Gazette (Upper Peninsula): A call for civility | News, Sports, Jobs - The Mining Gazette
The Mining Journal (Upper Peninsula): Former Michigan governors teaming up in ‘defining moment for civility’ | News, Sports, Jobs - The Mining Journal
Herald Palladium (SW Michigan): Is civility still attainable in the era of Trump? Four Michigan governors think it’s possible | State | heraldpalladium.com
Iosco News Herald (rural northern Michigan): Is civility still attainable in the era of Trump? Four Michigan governors think it’s possible | State | iosconews.com
WEMU-FM (SE Michigan): Four living Michigan governors make case for civility in politics | WEMU-FM
WUOM-FM (SE Michigan): 4 living ex-Michigan governors make case for civility in politics
WTVB-AM (Southern Michigan): Former Michigan Governors call for civility in rare forum | WTVB | 1590 AM · 95.5 FM | The Voice of Branch County
WNWN-FM (SW Michigan): Four former Michigan Governors to join call for civility in politics | WIN 98.5 Your Country | WNWN-FM | Battle Creek, MI
Robinspost.com (statewide blog): Politics Today News: All 4 former governors make bipartisan appeal for political civility | Daily Politics News | RobinsPost
Mackinac Center: All former governors join Mackinac Center civility panel – Mackinac Center
Capitol Confidential: Four former governors promote civility in Wednesday event – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Michigan Public Radio Network (aired on affiliate stations statewide): https://muckrack.com/broadcast/savedclips/view/EFcNcgpuEo
WOOD (West Michigan): https://muckrack.com/broadcast/savedclips/view/E9kRxUbQGM
WJR-AM (Metro Detroit, same interview aired on WKBZ, WKTG; note former Gov. Snyder promoting DDP): https://muckrack.com/broadcast/savedclips/view/IE6Y0Qt378
WFQX (Northern Michigan): https://muckrack.com/broadcast/savedclips/view/ETkhOFxKKZ
WSMH (Flint): https://muckrack.com/broadcast/savedclips/view/5MtOqhnjQ8