State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) received the endorsement of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her campaign for the 8th Congressional District on Tuesday.
“I am proud to endorse Kristen McDonald Rivet for Congress,” Whitmer said in a video released on her social media accounts. “In the state senate she has been working tirelessly to make housing more affordable and bring good paying jobs to our communities. She was a leader on repealing Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban. And she helped me pass the largest tax cut for working families in Michigan history. This is a seat we must win and she’s the one to do it. I’m behind her one hundred percent.”
“Gov. Whitmer and I have partnered to get big things done to help mid-Michigan families make ends meet – historic working-class tax cuts, creating good-paying jobs, and protecting reproductive rights,” McDonald Rivet said. “I am beyond honored to have her support in our campaign for MI-08, where she knows that we have what it takes to both win and continue our shared work to lower costs and protect our hard-earned freedoms.”
In her 2024 State of the State, Governor Whitmer credited McDonald Rivet for leading the charge to pass historic tax cuts for working families. They are now working to take on special interests and lower the costs of everyday goods, like housing, childcare, and prescription drugs. They also worked together to ensure access to safe, legal abortion and reproductive care in Michigan.
McDonald Rivet was elected to the 35th State Senate district in 2022. In January she announced her candidacy for the 8th Congressional District, which covers most of Genesee County, all of Saginaw and Bay counties and portions of Midland and Tuscola counties.
Whitmer’s endorsement comes after many others, including the current holder of the district seat – Congressman Dan Kildee – who will be retiring in November.
The campaign to succeed Rep. Dan Kildee in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District – rated a Toss-Up by the Cook Political Report – will be among the most competitive and contested U.S. House races in the country in 2024.
