Republican State Rep Seeks Whitmer Impeachment Despite Slim Chances

In a Facebook post Monday, Republican State Rep. Matt Maddock said he had the support of numerous GOP legislators for an effort to launch impeachment hearings against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The impeachment process prescribed by the Michigan Constitution of 1963 is similar to that specified by the U.S. Constitution. A vote to launch an impeachment trial in the Senate requires only a simple majority of the House, which also elects three of its members to prosecute the impeachment. Republicans currently have a 58-52 majority in the House, a margin that will not change in 2021.

But actually ejecting a governor from office requires a two-thirds supermajority of Senators who are “elected and serving.” That means at least 26 of 38 state senators would have to vote in favor for Whitmer to be impeached. Given the current 22-16 Republican majority in the Senate, a successful impeachment would require four Democratic members to vote against a Democratic governor. This is unlikely.