McDonald Rivet faces Junge in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District election

• U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee’s pending retirement leaves an open seat in Michigan’s competitive 8th Congressional District
• Democratic state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet and Republican Paul Junge won their primaries to advance to general election
• The race is expected to be one of the most competitive in the state

LANSING – U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee’s pending retirement is set to make Michigan’s 8th Congressional district race one of the most competitive in the state — and a race that draws national attention.  

Democratic state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet and Republican Paul Junge won contested primaries to advance to the Nov. 5 general election. 

Kildee, a six-term Democrat, won re-election by more than 10 percentage points in 2022, but his reputation may have helped him overcome trends in the district, which has grown increasingly conservative and become a target for Republicans. 

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The 8th Congressional District includes all of Saginaw and Bay counties, most of Genesee County and portions of Midland and Tuscola counties. It's centered around Flint, but other major cities include Saginaw, Bay City and Midland.

The district has had a narrow Democratic lean in recent presidential election results.  Among local voters, President Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by 2 percentage points in 2020, while Hillary Clinton beat Trump by 1 percentage point in 2016.

Here is a closer look at each of the candidates:

Democrat - Kristen McDonald Rivet: McDonald Rivet currently serves in the state Senate, representing the 3th District that includes all of Bay and Saginaw counties, as well as parts of Genesee, Midland and Tuscola counties. She previously worked in a variety of roles including as vice president of the Skillman Foundation, an education grant making organization aimed at assisting Detroit’s young people, executive director of the private education nonprofit Michigan Head Start and chief of staff for the Michigan Department of Education.

Republican - Paul Junge: Under the administration of Former President Donald Trump, Junge was appointed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2018 to work in external affairs. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. A former deputy district attorney turned television reporter, Junge has run in the 8th U.S. House district in each election since 2020 — both times advancing as the Republican nominee before losing in the general election. 

Libertarian - Steve Barcelo: Barcelo, who lists a Fenton address in campaign filings, was nominated at convention by the Libertarian Party of Michigan. The party advocates for personal liberty over government intervention and considers taxation "theft," according to its platform. 

US Taxpayers - James Allen Little: Little, who lists a Flint address in campaign filings, advanced to the general election ballot through nomination at a U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention in July.  The party is anti-abortion, supports limited taxation, education reform and property rights, among other things. 

Working Class - Kathy Goodwin: Goodwin, who lives in the Flint area,  was nominated at convention by the Working Class Party of Michigan. She ran for the same post in 2022 and finished with 3% of the vote in the general election. Among other things, the Working Class party argues that financial profits by big companies was "stolen" from workers and should be returned.

Green - Jim Casha: Casha, who lists an Ontario address in campaign filings, was nominated at convention by the Green Party of Michigan. He also ran for Congress in 2014 but finished with less than 1% of the vote in what was then the 8th District. Casha has long advocated for awareness of fetal alcohol exposure and mental illness.