Unofficial results say Democratic state senator Kristen McDonald Rivet has won the race in Michigan's 8th Congressional District. This victory is a small bright spot for the state's Democratic party after a disappointing election night. She will represent a district of over 700,00 people including the cities of Flint, Midland, Bay City and Saginaw.
In a social media post, McDonald Rivet said she was "humbled by the trust voters have put in me, and honored to represent mid-Michigan in the U.S. House." She added that she would work to “lower costs, bring good-paying jobs to mid-Michigan, protect our hard-earned rights and more.”
Republican Paul Junge conceded the race and congratulated his opponent, saying on Facebook that “while unfortunately we came up short at the polls, I was proud of the campaign we ran.” Junge said he wished McDonald Rivet luck and thanked his staffers and voters.
Professor Kevin Lorentz is with the Saginaw Valley State University Political Science Department. He said the race is a good result for Democrats in Michigan, one bright spot on a bad night for the party.
"It's somewhat surprising to see that the 8th congressional district essentially that Paul Junge was unable to ride on the presidential coattails to secure this district," he said.
Lorentz voted to ticket splitting as a potential reason McDonald Rivet won, despite Vice President Kamala Harris underperforming President Joe Biden in Saginaw County and across the state, according to unofficial results.
“She won a competitive race, you know, two years ago,” he said citing McDonald Rivet’s electoral success as a state senator, representing the northern part of the district. “They've been happy with her two years and so they are, giving her a promotion…more voters felt a connection or liked Senator Rivet compared to Paul Junge.”
McDonald Rivet will replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Flint).
