Kristen McDonald Rivet

Kristen McDonald Rivet is a dedicated public servant and first-term Michigan state senator, representing the Great Lakes Bay Region. Raised in a working-class Catholic household in a small Michigan town, McDonald Rivet learned the values of hard work, education, and service from a young age.

McDonald Rivet and her twin sister were the first in her family to attend college, alongside her mother, earning her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and later a master's degree in education and public administration from the University of Michigan-Flint. Over the course of her 30-year career, Kristen has been a tireless advocate for improving employment and educational opportunities, revitalizing communities, and addressing institutional inequities.

Before her election to the Senate, McDonald Rivet held several leadership roles, including: executive director of the Michigan Head Start Association, vice president of Michigan Future, Inc., and president/CEO of Greater Midland, Inc. She also served as a Bay City Commissioner and most recently worked as chief strategy officer for the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance.

Kristen McDonald Rivet has a proven record of championing policies that support Michigan families, workers, and children. In the State Senate, she successfully led efforts to pass the largest tax cut for working families in Michigan’s history and has introduced plans to address the state’s growing childcare crisis. She has been a strong advocate for abortion rights and was instrumental in passing a commonsense gun violence prevention bill requiring the safe storage of firearms around children.

McDonald Rivet is now running for Congress in Michigan’s 8th District, driven by a commitment to help families achieve the Michigan Dream—owning a home, paying the bills, and securing a stable future. She is focused on lowering the cost of living, including groceries, housing, and prescription drugs, and ensuring that Michigan’s workforce is prepared for the high-wage jobs of tomorrow. McDonald Rivet is also steadfast in protecting the freedoms and security of Michiganders, including the right to abortion and keeping guns out of dangerous hands.