Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-MI) explained on Tuesday her choice not to seek reelection, saying her political party is increasingly at odds with her Christian faith.
“I don’t understand how ‘Christian’ and ‘Bible’ go together [with] ‘Democratic Party,’” Whitsett said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
Whitsett, who represents Michigan’s 4th House District in Detroit, said in March that she plans to step away from public office at the end of her term in 2026.
She described the decision as “spiritual” in an interview with ClickOnDetroit and later said in a social media statement that she answers to “God first.”
“I don’t have a heaven or hell to put anyone in — only God does,” Whitsett said. “But I do have God’s unwavering Word to stand on, and I can no longer compromise it to fit a party platform or to please people.”
Whitsett has struggled to reconcile her faith with positions held by the Democratic Party, specifically citing its support for abortion rights and LGBT policies.
“I just sincerely kept asking, please do not back me into a corner,” she told Fox News Digital. “Please do not keep pushing the LGBTQ agenda. Please do not keep pushing the abortion agenda.”
She also criticized what she described as a lack of flexibility within her party on legislation, saying she often felt pressure to fall in line even when she believed certain bills would benefit her constituents.
“They don’t want you to disagree with anything,” Whitsett told Fox News Digital. “There are numerous things that can be in bills, and they’ll say, ‘No, don’t do it.’ I’m not going back to my district to say I didn’t vote for something that was beneficial for them.”
Whitsett pointed to her involvement with Lionheart Church in Georgia, which she attends virtually, as influential in shaping her views and ultimate decision.
“God has called me to move in a different direction,” Whitsett told Fox News Digital. “And I definitely want to try to lead people back to a biblical foundation.”
Her break with fellow Democrats has developed over several years. In 2020, she publicly clashed with party leaders over COVID-19 policies, when she opposed vaccine mandates just two years after she was first elected in 2018.
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In January 2025, Whitsett announced she would no longer caucus with the Democrats.
Whitsett has at times aligned with Republicans and noted that President Donald Trump helped her raise more than $840,000 for her 2024 campaign.