Internal divisions doom Michigan Democrats in their final days of legislative control

By ISABELLA VOLMERT and JOEY CAPPELLETTI The Associated Press

Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett, a Detroit Democrat, speaks to reporters in the Michigan House of Representatives in Lansing, Mich., Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, alongside Republican minority leader Matt Hall. (AP Photo/Isabella Volmert)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Isabella Volmert]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Democrats, recently hailed as a model of electoral and legislative success, are ending their final days in complete control of the state government mired by divisions and outright rebellion that has stalled votes on key priorities.

Tensions peaked Thursday as the state House’s top Democrat ordered absent members back and barred the doors, only to reverse course and end the year’s legislative session. The chaos erupted after a Democrat joined Republicans in skipping, leaving the chamber without enough members to hold votes.

“Everything that was on the agenda today in the House is dead,” House Speaker Pro Tem Laurie Pohutsky told reporters Thursday. “And the 55 members that did not attend should feel free to own it.”

The turmoil and finger-pointing in the final days of the legislative session underscore deep divisions within the Democratic Party on how to move forward after significant setbacks in the November general election.

Along with losing control of the state House, Democrats watched President-elect Donald Trump carry Michigan on his way to another term in the White House and faced frequent criticism for not meeting for session more often earlier in the year.

Two Black Democrats were critical to the stoppage this week, saying they had lost faith in the party’s attention to Black voter needs.

“I think that if those needs were prioritized, then we would not have seen what happened Nov. 6,” said state Sen. Sylvia Santana, who boycotted the Senate session on Wednesday.

Democratic Detroit state Rep. Karen Whitsett, who skipped session both Wednesday and Thursday, appeared with Republican Minority Leader Matt Hall on Thursday and took shots at Democratic leadership, a sign of the growing unrest toward and within the party’s leadership.

Earlier this month, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, announced he was running for governor in 2026 as an independent, in part, due to a “partisan, toxic atmosphere we’ve got.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat in her second term, had also told leaders from both parties that they should not expect her to sign any bills until her priorities are first addressed. Whitmer wants increased funding for economic development projects and road repairs, according to a source who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.

And in a statement Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks said she is “deeply disappointed that the House of Representatives called it quits.”

“‘Frustrated’ is too light of a word to describe my dismay that the House failed to meet its obligations in this historic moment,” said Brinks, a Grand Rapids Democrat.

Pohutsky said the House is adjourned until Dec. 31, when the session is expected to formally end, effectively killing bills to expand public records requests to the governor’s office, ban ghost guns and protect reproductive health data.

Democratic House leadership consistently denied division in the party and blamed the Republicans who were absent.

“The bare minimum they can do is show up,” Pohutsky told reporters before the House adjourned. “And I would say vote, but that’s between them and their constituents.”

Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement Wednesday that Whitsett’s and House Republicans’ absences were “criminal,” which drew swift blowback from both sides of the aisle.

House Republicans walked out of session Dec. 13, saying they would not vote on anything unless it’s funding for roads and legislation that would address new minimum wage and paid sick leave requirements. The caucus remained absent from the floor Wednesday and Thursday.

Republicans are set to regain control of the Michigan House in January, ending nearly two years of full Democratic legislative power.

“We’re going to communicate with the other side. We’re going to treat them fairly,” said Hall, the incoming House majority leader. “If we treat the members of the other party with respect, we’ll never get in this situation, and that’s what we intend to do next year.”