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Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:22 PM ET
Democratic · 3 November 2026
Kristen McDonald Rivet
U.S. Representative for Michigan's 8th congressional district (since 2025)
Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat who has represented Michigan's 8th congressional district since 2025 and previously served in the Michigan Senate, is running for re-election in 2026 against Republican Thomas Smith.
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Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Kristen McDonald Rivet.
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Recent media coverage for Kristen McDonald Rivet.
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- Born
- July 11, 1970
- Birthplace
- Portland, Michigan
- Education
- Portland High School
Michigan State University (Bachelor of Arts in history, 1992)
University of Michigan-Flint (master's degree in public administration and education, 2010)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Kristen McDonald Rivet was born on July 11, 1970, in Portland, Michigan, where she grew up with her fraternal twin sister, Karen McDonald, and an older sister. Her father was a construction worker and her mother stayed home to raise the children.
She attended Portland High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Michigan State University in 1992, followed in 2010 by a master's degree in public administration and education from the University of Michigan-Flint.
She is married to Joseph Rivet, a former politician, and the couple have six children and live in Bay City.
Career
Before holding elected office, Kristen McDonald Rivet served as executive director of Michigan Head Start, worked in the Michigan department of human services, and was chief of staff to State Superintendent Michael P. Flanagan.
She later became vice president of the Skillman Foundation and president and chief executive officer of Greater Midlands Inc. Her first elected position was on the Bay City Charter Commission, and she then won a seat on the Bay City Commission representing the 2nd ward.
In November 2022 she was elected to the Michigan Senate from the 35th district, defeating Republican state Representative Annette Glenn, and she served as assistant majority floor leader from 2023 to 2025.
In 2024 McDonald Rivet ran for the U.S. House seat left open by the retirement of Dan Kildee, winning the Democratic primary and defeating Republican Paul Junge in the general election. She took office on January 3, 2025, and was appointed to the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She was also selected as the Freshman Leadership Representative for the New Democrat Coalition.
2026 race
Kristen McDonald Rivet is the Democratic nominee for re-election in Michigan's 8th congressional district, which centers on the Saginaw Bay and includes Flint, Saginaw, Bay City and Midland; she won the seat with 51.3% of the vote in 2024.
Her Republican opponent is Thomas Smith, a retired engineer who suspended his campaign during the primary and endorsed Alfred Lemmo, yet still won the Republican primary with 50.44% of the vote over Amir Hassan and Lemmo.
Libertarian C. Mia Pettus, Green Party candidate Jim Casha and Working Class Party candidate Kathy Goodwin also appear on the ballot for the general election on November 3, 2026.