It’s not all that unusual for a politician to not run for re-election, but Michigan State Representative Karen Whitsett’s reason to stand down this next cycle is raising some eyebrows and garnering national attention.
“I will not be seeking re-election for this office, and I will not be running for any office ever again,” she stated on Monday. “This is not a political calculation—it’s a spiritual decision.”
As a committed believer in Jesus Christ, Rep. Whitsett has said she’s found ongoing political differences in her orbit to be irreconcilable with her faith.
“I don’t have a heaven or hell to put anyone in. Only God does. 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 said.
She continued:
“I have compromised my relationship with Jesus for too long, and I’m grateful God did not give up on me. He gave me time to repent, turn, and be fully devoted to Him,” the Michigan representative declared.
“That conviction includes the issues I cannot reconcile with Scripture: abortion, the normalization of the gay lifestyle, and the push to redefine gender.”
A native of Detroit, Rep. Whitsett has said she was motivated to run for office in order to help improve the lives of her constituents.
Christians have traditionally made for ideal public officials. Scripture is clear that government is established by God (Romans 13:1) and that He raises up individuals who are “ministers of God” (Romans 13:6). Christians who know His Word also recognize that ultimately, “there is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1).
Faith and politics isn’t a zero-sum game, of course. Many elected officials at odds with their party’s platform have simply switched parties.
William Wilberforce, the British politician credited with abolishing the Atlantic slave trade, was said to have seriously considered resigning his seat in Parliament after converting to Christianity. Like Rep. Whitsett, he struggled with whether he could remain faithful to both the Bible and his office.
John Newton, who had previously been a slave trader before converting and becoming a pastor, wrote to the British politico and urged him to stay.
“It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation,” he advised. “The Lord has a work for you to do … and you are not to leave it.”
That turned out to be good advice given William Wilberforce helped abolish slavery in the British Empire.
Not everybody, though, hangs around and tries to reconcile their frustrations. The late Dr. Tom Coburn, who also served in the Senate, and was known for his strong Christian faith, resigned his seat early. While citing an ongoing battle with cancer, he also expressed irritation with the perennial dysfunction in politics.
“When I came to Washington, I was troubled to observe so many similarities between the behaviors of drug-addicted patients and my political colleagues,” he quipped. “In Washington power is like morphine.”
During her four terms in office, Rep. Whitsett has prioritized lowering insurance rates for constituents, reforming the tax foreclosure procedures and helping entrepreneurs secure loans and resources for their businesses.
In announcing her plans to step away from the political sphere, the Michigan legislator spoke freely and clearly:
“I’m not going to pretend God’s Word can be twisted by any priest, bishop, pastor, or preacher to make people feel comfortable in sin—whether that’s to keep donations coming, to avoid offending anyone, or to fit the culture,” Whitsett said.
“Just because prominent leaders don’t speak against these things does not mean God is okay with them. God does not change. My faith is not moving. My allegiance is to Jesus Christ, and I’m choosing God’s business over man’s approval.”
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