Kristen McDonald Rivet and Paul Junge vie for seat in Michigan 8th Congressional District

Democratic state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet and Republican former television news anchor Paul Junge won their parties’ nominations for the open Michigan 8th Congressional District seat in Aug. 8 primaries. 

Democratic incumbent Rep. Dan. Kildee is not seeking reelection to the central Michigan seat, which includes Flint and Saginaw, after defeating Junge 53%-43% in 2022. The Cook Political Report rates the November race a toss-up.

The candidates are diametrically opposed in their views on most major policy issues.

Reproductive rights

As a state lawmaker, McDonald Rivet has repeatedly voted to protect the right to abortion and fertility care. In a July 5 press release, her campaign said that “in the wake of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and efforts to ban in vitro fertilization around the country, McDonald Rivet stood up for Michigan women and helped repeal the state’s 1931 law that banned abortion without exceptions for rape or incest. Then she helped pass a law protecting the right to use IVF.” Days later, she released an ad touting her pro-choice views. “Americans had never lost a Constitutional right until Roe’s overturn,” she wrote on social media. “Unacceptable for us. Unacceptable for our daughters. MAGA extremists like my opponent want a nationwide abortion ban. Not on our watch.”

During his unsuccessful 2020 U.S. House campaign, Junge said on his campaign issues page: “I am pro-life. Life is a gift from God and there is no more vulnerable life than a baby in the womb. … Partial-birth abortions, taxpayer-funding of abortions, and no-reason abortion-on-demand needs to end.” This language has been scrubbed from his current site, replaced with a section on “The Constitution” that says: “He believes in the culture of life and knows that a child is a precious gift from God. Paul will fight to protect and defend all of our constitutional rights.” Asked about abortion during a 2022 radio interview, he answered, “I am pro-life. And I think that’s an issue that’s going to be settled by people here in Michigan … I think that’s the appropriate place for it to be settled. I’ll respect the decision of people here in Michigan.” Asked specifically about exceptions to abortion bans, he responded: “It’s a life and I want to celebrate that life. I don’t make exceptions other than the life of the mother.” In previous campaigns. Junge received backing from Right to Life of Michigan and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Economy

Junge’s campaign website says, “Paul will fight for fewer government regulations and lower taxes so businesses can invest in expansion and new technologies, and families can keep more of their hard-earned dollars.” In June he signed a pledge organized by Americans for Tax Reform never to back any tax increase for any reason and said on his 2020 campaign page that he backed making permanent the individual provisions of President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That law slashed tax rates for the richest Americans, but provided minimal tax cuts or even hikes for everyone else.

In the Legislature, McDonald Rivet voted to cut taxes for working Michigan families and retirees and to reduce the cost of medicines by establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. 

In a statement emailed to the Michigan Independent, she said: “The Trump tax cuts, which my trust fund opponent from California backed, gave tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy and led to Michigan jobs being sent to China. The working families I represent cannot afford that. Here in Michigan, I led the effort to pass the largest tax cut for working families in state history. In Congress, I will make sure we cut taxes for working families, not the multi-millionaires like Paul Junge.” 

Gun violence

“I am a proud supporter of our second amendment rights but every right comes with responsibility,” McDonald Rivet posted on Facebook in June 2022. In the wake of school shootings in Michigan, she helped pass gun safety laws to require background checks and safe storage and to temporarily disarm those judged to be an extreme risk to themselves or others. “This will save lives and prevent so much loss,” she posted on Facebook after the laws were signed in April 2023. 

The National Rifle Association endorsed Junge in his 2020 race, citing his opposition to universal background checks and bans on semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines. His 2020 campaign site said,” I am pro-Second Amendment and will fight efforts that attack lawful gun ownership, whether by unconstitutional red flags laws or any other means.” His current site says only, “Paul Junge is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and opposes efforts to infringe on lawful gun ownership.” 

Public education

“Paul will defend the rights of Michigan parents to educate their children as they see fit – in public, religious, private, or charter schools, or at home, opposes the woke agenda politicizing our schools, and strongly supports local control instead of dictates from Washington DC bureaucrats,” Junge’s issues page states. In his 2022 campaign, he reported taking $5,800 from former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who advocates for a system of vouchers to allow parents to use public education funding to pay for private or religious school tuition. Junge’s campaign did not immediately respond to a Michigan Independent request for comment for this story.

McDonald Rivet, who previously served as executive director of the Michigan Head Start Association and as chief of staff for Michigan’s Department of Education, has been endorsed by the National Education Association and the Michigan Education Association. In a May 2024 statement, MEA President Chandra Madafferi praised her as a true friend of public education. In 2023, McDonald Rivet secured state funds for a partnership between Saginaw Valley State University and the Saginaw Public Schools to allow school employees to obtain accelerated teaching credentials.