Kristen McDonald Rivet

A champion for Michigan families

Raised in a small town in Michigan by her father, who was a construction worker, and her stay-at-home mom, Kristen McDonald Rivet was taught to value hard work, education, and service to others. She watched her father work long hours weekly to provide for his family, learning early on that anybody who works hard should be able to achieve the American dream. McDonald Rivet’s upbringing motivated her to assist families in her community to thrive by providing affordable childcare and advancing better educational outcomes for kids. She became the executive director of Michigan Head Start Association, chief of staff for Michigan’s Department of Education and vice president of the Skillman Foundation, where she was instrumental in making significant improvements to Michigan’s child care system and to education outcomes for children. McDonald Rivet helped to restore communities, increase youth development programs, and create public policy that helped level the playing field for marginalized communities. As a state senator, she successfully led the initiative to pass the largest tax cut for working families in Michigan’s history. McDonald Rivet resides in Bay City with her husband, Joseph. They have six children. 

Fighting for Michiganders

McDonald Rivet was elected to the Michigan state Senate in 2022, where she is the first Democrat in over a decade and the first woman ever to represent the Great Lakes Bay Region. In office, McDonald Rivet remains focused on helping Michigan families achieve their own American dream. She continues to address the need for affordable child care and introduced a plan to address the ongoing crisis in Michigan. McDonald Rivet has proven her dedication to the safety of all Michiganders. Early on in her tenure, she worked to pass a common sense gun safety bill that requires safe storage of firearms around children, and she has fought to protect abortion rights for women. 

A must-win keep it blue fight 

McDonald Rivet is seeking election to Michigan’s 8th Congressional District to hold the open “toss-up” seat, which is currently represented by retiring Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee. Michiganders have long been supporters for reproductive freedoms, and McDonald Rivet is committed to continuing the fight to protect abortion rights. Democrats regaining control of the U.S. House during the November election is critical to the reproductive rights movement and protecting our fundamental freedoms. We must elect a Democratic pro-choice woman to fill this seat, and EMILYs List is thrilled to support McDonald Rivet in this highly competitive election. We are confident in her ability to fight against anti-choice extremists in Washington and continue her work on behalf of working families in Michigan.