Michigan Democratic state Rep. Karen Whitsett, who has criticized colleagues for being profoundly “disconnected” from voters, announced this week she would no longer be caucusing with her party.
Whitsett cited her “close” relationship with Matt Hall, the incoming Republican leader in the state House, as her reason for exiting the caucus, saying she worried about being accused of leaking information to the GOP lawmaker.
“I don’t want anyone thinking that if, by happenstance, someone said something in the Dem caucus, and the speaker just happens to mention something similar to that — I don’t want anyone thinking that I told him anything and vice versa,” the rogue Democrat told the Washington Examiner.
During a phone interview Friday, Whitsett spoke warmly of working with Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump to advance an agenda touching issues such as infant mortality, justice reform, and public safety — “just the numerous amount of things that could possibly go through that would be beneficial for bipartisan support.”
“I think that at this time, the Republican Party is very open to that, and I think the President [Trump] has set that stage for that to be something of a priority,” the Michigan Democrat said. “I would love a great opportunity to pull some of that energy with the president and be able to work together with the speaker and him.”
While she has high hopes of working with Republicans this legislative session, Whitsett spurned fellow Michigan Democrats, whom she warned had pushed a losing message that handed the election to Trump.
When pressed on the biggest point of disconnect between the state’s Democratic lawmakers and Michigan residents, Whitsett said “It’s pretty much any and everything.”
She added that her biggest concerns with Democratic colleagues were how they handled the economy, immigration, and other kitchen table issues — “the same reason why [Michigan] slipped in the first place to red.”
Whitsett also condemned partisan “resistance” rhetoric from Democrats such as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who is working to “Trump-proof” California.
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“Anyone with common sense is turned off by it. You know, once again, those are Democratic talking points, which shows a disconnect from people, period,” Whitsett commented. “The fact that the priorities, even just in California, of making sure money is allocated where it’s supposed to be, that there’s actually water in the fire hydrants. It’s just commonsense things, but they have taken the budget and used it for whatever they wanted it for instead of whatever is necessary.”
Whitsett was first elected during the 2018 election. Her conciliatory tone toward Republicans comes after Trump made deep inroads in Michigan during the 2024 election. He flipped the battleground state red and gained crucial support in Detroit, the area Whitsett represents.
