A new face is in the governor seat in the state of Michigan.
Democrat Gretchen Whitmer was sworn-in as the 49th governor Tuesday morning at the state Capitol.
Despite it being the morning of New Year's Day and freezing temperatures, a generous-sized crowd was enthusiastic about the inauguration ceremony.
"The roads. Fixing the roads is important to her. It's important to us. She knows how important it is for the economic community here," said Faustina Sandoval, of Sault Ste. Marie. She drove four hours from the U.P. to see the celebration in person.
Michigan State Police said that more than 2,000 people showed up for the swearing-in of the governor, along with other elected officials.
One woman from eastern Michigan came to support her younger cousin, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II.
"We're excited to be a part of this big celebration. We wouldn't miss it for nothing in the world. Once in a lifetime," said Gwendolyn Criss, of Clinton Township.
Whitmer's supporters know it'll be a bumpy road ahead with a Republican-controlled Legislature, but they trust she'll be able to overcome partisan differences.
"I'm hoping that her reputation of reaching across the aisle will prevail for us, for Michiganders," said Sandoval.
"Next year, I'm hoping to see more the road changes, and more positive things happening, more jobs being created," Criss said.
In her inauguration speech, Whitmer said that she's committed to working across party lines and that means re-building roads and bridges, cleaning up the water, and ensuring everyone gets the skills and education they need for good-paying jobs.
