District: MI-08
Cook Political Ranking: Lean D
Performance Voter Index: R+1
Rep. McDonald Rivet was to Congress to represent Michigan’s 8th congressional district in 2024. Prior to entering Congress, McDonald Rivet served as chief of staff for State Superintendent Michael P. Flanagan and was vice president of the Skillman Foundation. McDonald Rivet decided to run for Bay City Charter Commission in 2017 and won. After this she ran for the Bay City Commission, representing the city’s 2nd ward. Shortly after this, she ran and won election to Michigan’s State Senate in the 35th district in 2022.

Michigan’s 8th Congressional District is based in central Michigan, with the city of Flint and the “Tri-Cities” metropolitan making up a majority of the district. Ahead of the 2024 race, then Democratic incumbent Rep. Dan Kildee announced his retirement from office, incentivizing McDonald Rivet to enter the race. She faced off and ultimately defeated the GOP challenger and prosecutor Paul Junge by 7 points (28,173 votes). During the 2024 cycle, Rep. McDonald Rivet raised $6 million, and her opponent, Junge, raised $5.9 million. Several super PACs, national party committees, politically active nonprofits, and other non-candidate groups together spent more than $14 million. This is Rep. McDonald Rivet’s first time seeking reelection in this district.