As Detroiters prepare to cast their votes in the 2025 Detroit municipal election, one City Council candidate’s record raises serious questions about her ability to represent the people of Detroit.
State Representative Karen Whitsett currently holds public office, and her actions during her time in Lansing demonstrate a disregard for the needs and values of her district. Detroit deserves a leader who understands the importance of policy and community priorities, qualities that Whitsett has consistently failed to demonstrate.
By Whitsett’s own admission, she does not engage in policy work. In November 2024, Whitsett said, “I don’t do a whole lot of policy. That’s not really my thing.” In a city like Detroit, where residents face complex challenges in areas like economic recovery, affordable housing, and public safety, this statement reveals a lack of preparedness to tackle the difficult issues that City Council members must address. A representative who openly disavows the core responsibility of policy-making should not be trusted with the future of one of Michigan’s most dynamic cities.
Not only does Whitsett opt out of policy work, she opts out of showing up to work. According to The Detroit News, Whitsett has missed 77 percent of session days in Lansing this year — including a recent all-night session for the passage of the annual budget. Out of the 66 House session days this year where attendance was taken, Whitsett showed up to 15.
In December 2024, Whitsett made headlines for walking out of the Michigan House of Representatives during the lame-duck session, preventing Democrats from passing important legislation during their final days in office. Among the critical bills that were left to die due to her walkout were measures that would have raised the minimum wage and expanded paid sick leave. Whitsett’s disregard of her duty was a direct insult to her constituents, many of whom rely on such policies to support their families and improve their quality of life.
When Whitsett does cast a vote, she far too often votes against her community’s interests. This August she helped House Republicans pass their omnibus budget spending bill, House Bill 4706, which cuts $4.8 billion for Medicaid funding, defunds SNAP by over $333 million, slashes over $26 million from environmental programs that keep keep Detroit’s air safe and our water clean and affordable, and cuts the Michigan Department of Civil Rights budget in half.
Whitsett’s troubling record doesn’t end there. Earlier this year, Whitsett voted in favor of the anti-worker House Bill 4001 despite the fact that Detroit voted for the One Fair Wage ballot initiative to uphold minimum wage for all. This bill would slow the planned increases to the state minimum wage, and reduce the wage rate for employees under 18. For the working-class families of Detroit, this vote represented a failure to advocate for fair wages and economic justice, placing the needs of low-income workers and young employees at risk. Another alarming example of Whitsett’s failure to represent her district occurred in 2023, when she voted against a bill package designed to protect women’s rights and healthcare access. Despite the strong support for reproductive rights in Detroit and deep concern about maternal mortality rates among Black women, Whitsett voted against legislation that would have safeguarded the very healthcare that is vital to women in her district.
Detroit deserves a City Council that is active, engaged, and committed to making decisions that will improve the lives of its residents. Whitsett’s record shows that she is not that leader. From her refusal to show up to session, to her betrayal of workers, to her votes against reproductive justice, to her walkout during key legislative moments, Whitsett has proven time and again that she has no interest in not representing her district.
If Karen Whitsett couldn’t effectively serve her district in Lansing, why would she be any more effective on the Detroit City Council? The challenges facing the city require leaders who are knowledgeable, accountable, and ready to take on difficult issues and fight for the people who live here. Whitsett’s failure to do so in the state legislature makes her an unfit candidate for the Detroit City Council.
It’s time for a change in District 7. This community deserves a councilmember who actively works to improve the lives of all its residents. We need our representatives to stand with the everyday people who built our cities’ prosperity and beauty. It’s time for our elected officials to be true partners — collaborative leaders who will champion working people, protect our health care, make sure our neighborhoods are truly affordable, defend immigrant communities, and put resources towards the root causes of public safety. Voters want someone who understands the responsibility of their office, the power of policy, and the impact their leadership has on the daily lives of working people.
Karen Whitsett has shown she is not up to the task.
Maria Ibarra-Frayre is the co-executive director of We The People Michigan.