A Michigan Democrat is refusing to caucus with her own party in the state legislature, citing a major “disconnect” from voters after refusing to pivot on key issues following the party’s 2024 loss. 

State Rep. Karen Whitsett revealed why she refuses to caucus with the Democrats for the 2025-2026 legislative session during “The Faulkner Focus” Thursday.

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“I’m not going to caucus with them because of their talking points and the fact that they are disconnected,” Whitsett told Harris Faulkner. “They’re still using the same rhetoric that lost in the race, so why am I going to caucus with a group that’s totally disconnected?

“I know how to read a bill, so I don’t need someone to tell me how to vote,” she continued. “Clearly, they have messed up the whole entire voting system as it is, so why would I do that? I’m better off just being by myself, read my bills and get things done for my district.”

Whitsett also told The Detroit News another reason she won’t caucus with the Democrats is because she has a close working relationship with Matt Hall, the Republican House speaker. 

She noted that her left-wing colleagues might accuse her of leaking information to the Republicans if she did caucus with them, and she hasn’t caucused with her own party regularly before. 

Whitsett, who formerly endorsed President Biden but met with President-elect Donald Trump previously, told Faulkner she “completely understands” how Trump received historic support from communities of color, which historically vote deep-blue, in the 2024 election. 

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“I completely understand,” Whitsett said. “Now, do people like it or expect it or accept it? Absolutely not. Because you’re a Black woman in Lansing really in an old White man’s world. So to be able to work on the other side of the aisle is not heard of. No one really likes the fact that you’re doing that. But if I was a White man, they would just pat me on the back and they would say, ‘Great job.’” 

A Fox News Voter Analysis showed Trump’s crossover appeal to Democratic constituencies was foundational to his success. He improved on his 2020 numbers among Hispanics (41%, +6 points), Black voters (15%, +7 points), and young voters (46%, +10 points).

These rightward shifts were particularly notable among Hispanic men (+8 points), Black men (+12 points), and men under 30 (+14 points) from 2020.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.