Detroit state Rep. Karen Whitsett called her opponent in District 7’s Detroit City Council race “inserted by Rashida Tlaib” in a post responding to his criticism of her vote approving a Republican state budget proposal.
Whitsett, a Detroit Democrat who represents the west side of Detroit as part of her state House district, accused Denzel McCampbell, a former city charger commissioner, of using her vote to “scare people in our community who don’t know the whole story.”
This week, Whitsett joined House Republicans in passing their omnibus budget spending bill, House Bill 4706, which Democratic critics said cuts necessary programs and services that residents rely on, from Medicaid to food assistance. The bill would also cut the Michigan Department of Civil Rights budget in half, eliminating $1.5 million from Metro Detroit cultural museums including Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
“My opponent just voted to defund the Arab American National Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Holocaust Memorial Center,” McCampbell wrote in a social media post viewed more than 20,000 times.
But Whitsett says she voted with Republicans as a negotiation tactic.
“Every day, I see it. My colleagues in the House make the easy choice: they vote “no” on the budget bill and then go home to throw rocks on social media and in the news. They offer no solutions. They take zero responsibility. They also deliver zero funds for their district,” Whitsett said in a series of posts to Facebook.
Whitsett says she doesn’t believe the cuts to the Metro Detroit museums will be included in the final budget signed off by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“Now, why did I vote the way I did? Because I voted to ensure programs that will never be cut — and if they were, they have more than enough funding — can redirect resources to areas that desperately need it,” Whitsett said.
McCampbell received the most votes of any District 7 candidates during the city’s Aug. 5 primary election in what may have been the biggest surprise of Detroit’s municipal primary. In a race with Regina Ross, who in 2021 came dozens of votes from defeating outgoing member Fred Durhal III, and another who’s a sitting state legislator, McCampbell edged Whitsett by dozens of votes thanks to a massive door knocking and phone bank effort fueled by Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party.
Whitsett, who has been a legislator since 2018, has become a polarizing member of her own party thanks to her willingness to turn on party leaders over issues that she disagrees with. She’s broken with Democrats over abortion policy, COVID-19 and tipped and prevailing wage laws.
“Let’s set the record straight. Rashida Tlaib has inserted a self-proclaimed socialist into my race, and he’s using my vote on the budget to scare people in our community who don’t know the whole story. Let me be clear: the loudest voices often come from the weakest thrones,” Whitsett said.
“I voted on the budget, and now they claim I’ve gutted everything. But do they even understand what’s really happening? Here’s the reality: I can vote with the Democrats and deliver nothing for you, or I can vote strategically to ensure Detroit gets what it deserves,” Whitsett said in a lengthy post to Facebook. “And let me tell you, Detroiters are far too savvy to fall for fearmongering from a piece of mail, a block party conversation, or social media posts. You know we’re currently dealing with a Republican-controlled House—not a Democratic one. This is where negotiations begin. We also have a Democratic-controlled Senate and a Democratic Governor who isn’t afraid to veto harmful proposals.”
Whitsett mentioned the efforts she’s been working to deliver funding for, like Forgotten Harvest, a local program tackling food insecurity she said she’s working to get $10 million for.
“And while some may not worry about their DTE bills, I’m fighting to ensure our neighbors have warmth, lights, and their past-due bills dissolved,” Whitsett said.
House Democrats disagreed with Whitsett’s framing of her vote.
“There is no justification for gutting $4.8 billion for Medicaid funding, defunding SNAP by over $333 million, cutting 53.4% from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights budget or slashing more than $26 million — including $10 million specifically for water affordability efforts — from environmental programs that protect the health, safety and wellness of our communities by keeping our water and air clean,” state Rep. Donavan McKinney, D-Detroit, said in a statement.
The Detroit legislative caucus pointed to proposed cuts that would take away as much as $44.5 million worth of Detroit specific programs directed towards public safety, community resources and remediation.
“We had less than one hour to review an 800-page budget bill, which even at a cursory glance was very problematic,” said state Rep. Stephanie Young, D-Detroit. “House Republicans aim to eliminate over $18.5 million in funding to support moms and babies, deeply cut public safety by over $75 million, slash more than $5 billion funding to Medicaid and SNAP, and the list goes on. These cuts don’t just affect Democrats or Detroiters, they negatively impact all residents across the state.”
House Republicans championed their budget bill as eliminating “fraud waste and abuse”, a line made famous by President Donald Trump’s DOGE. The bill also includes a provision to get rid of state taxes on tips. That provision, sponsored by state Rep. Joe Argona, R-Clinton Township.
Argona said he hoped Democrats support the “no tax on tips” plan as part of the final budget.
