Michigan state lawmaker enters crowded U.S. House race as Democrats aim to defend open seat

Michigan Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet on Wednesday became the fifth candidate to enter a competitive race for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which Democrats are left without an incumbent due to the retirement of U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee this year.

Defending the seat could be crucial for Democrats in a year when they must gain at least five seats to gain majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The party will also have to defend a vulnerable seat in central Michigan left vacant after U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin ran for an open U.S. Senate seat this year.

Although the state has become increasingly Democratic in recent years, a contentious presidential election and an open Senate race are expected to make Michigan one of the few swing states in 2024. Michigan Democrats are also divided in response to the war in Gaza, with the state's large Arab-American population vowing not to support those who do not call for a ceasefire.

Kildee, 65, announced in November that he would not seek re-election to his 8th District seat after he was diagnosed with a curable form of cancer earlier this year that he has since removed. Kildee has represented the Flint area since 2013 after succeeding his uncle, Dale Kildee, who served in Congress for 36 years.

The newly redrawn district extends north from the Detroit suburbs and includes areas such as Flint, Saginaw and Midland.

Pamela Pugh, chair of the state Board of Education, and Dan Moilanen, the executive director of the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, have announced in the weeks since Kildee's retirement that they will seek the Democratic nomination.

On the Republican front, Paul Junge, a former TV presenter, will make another bid for the seat after losing to Kildee by more than 10 percentage points last year. Saginaw trauma surgeon Martin Blank is also seeking the Republican nomination.

McDonald Rivet is entering the race just one year into her first four-year term in the Michigan Senate. Her victory in a competitive district that included Midland, Saginaw and Bay City helped Democrats flip the Senate last year and gain control of all levels of government for the first time since 1984.

In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press ahead of her campaign announcement, McDonald Rivet shared that Kildee had called her, revealing his decision to step aside and encouraging her to rush to his seat.

“I came to the conclusion that right now, at this time when we see chaos reigning over pragmatism in Washington, this is a good time for me to go to Congress to try to get some things done,” said McDonald Rivet. .

As the former executive director of the Michigan Head Start Association, McDonald Rivet said she plans to introduce a major package of bills during the upcoming legislative session to make child care more accessible and affordable. If elected to Congress, she hopes to continue that work.

“The work I've done throughout my career has really been about Michigan families,” McDonald Rivet said. “As a mother of six, I can really imagine what that means when you think about how much childcare costs.”

Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Campaign, said in a statement Wednesday that McDonald Rivet is a “career politician who is out of touch with Michigan voters.”

If successful, McDonald Rivet's campaign could prove bittersweet for Michigan Democrats. The party controls the Senate by just a two-seat margin, and its exit from the seat could set up a tight race in one of the state's most competitive districts.

The party is also fighting to retain control of the state House, which ended in a 54-54 deadlock in November after two Democrats won mayoral elections in their districts. Special elections for the seats will take place in April.