Announcing her candidacy, Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet issued the following statement: “As I hear from countless members of our communities about the real struggles they face, I am tired of politicians in DC prioritizing their ambitions over delivering real solutions. I grew up in a working class household with a dad that showered at the end of the work day, not the beginning, to make ends meet. Because he worked hard, we had a good life. That’s why I have spent my life fighting to uplift kids and working families like mine by making child care more affordable, improving education, and delivering meaningful tax relief to working parents. Now, I am eager to continue the mission by picking up on Representative Kildee’s legacy in Congress and working with both parties to pass sensible solutions to lower costs, protecting our hard earned freedoms, and delivering jobs and opportunity to hard working Michiganders. I am ready to take our message and coalition across the 8th District and to victory this November.”

In 2022, McDonald Rivet was elected to the Michigan State Senate, where she is the first Democrat in over a decade and the first woman ever to represent the Great Lakes Bay Region in the Michigan Senate.

At least two other Democrats have announced their run the primary contest: Michigan State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh of Saginaw and Dan Moilanen, former chair of the Genesee County Democratic Party. Republicans Paul Junge, a Grand Blanc resident and former surgeon Martin Blank have also announced runs for the seat.

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“After hearing from several community leaders and stakeholders, I have decided to become a candidate for Michigan’s 8th congressional district instead of continuing a campaign for the United States senate,” Pugh announced in a press release. “My decision to seek federal office was always rooted in two goals. I wanted to ensure that communities like my hometown had a strong, capable, and experienced voice in Washington and I wanted to ensure Michigan added more women to the ranks of power.”

So far, for the 8th Congressional District seat, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley has launched an exploratory committee for a possible run as a Democrat and Republicans Paul Junge of Grand Blanc and Martin Blank of Saginaw County, are also seeking to fill the seat.

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He will complete 12 years of service in Washington, following the prior 36 years by his uncle, Dale Kildee, who passed away two years ago at age 92.

Redistricting after the 2020 census has made the Eighth District less solid for Democrats, and Dan Kildee faced his first major challenge in his 2022 victory over Republican Paul Junge. The 2024 race will become up for grabs and a potential focal point for national news coverage.

Kildee’s media staff prepared reactions from friends and fellow legislators. Here is a sampling:

Senator Debbie Stabenow: “Congressman Dan Kildee embodies everything we want our public servants to be. His love for his hometown of Flint, his district, and the state of Michigan is so clear and shows up in all of his work in Congress. During the water crisis in Flint, he worked around the clock to make sure families had resources, clean drinking water, and access to care. He has always fought to strengthen his communities, create good-paying jobs through new clean energy opportunities, and protect our Great Lakes. Even before he served in Congress, he was focused on improving neighborhoods, creating Michigan’s first land bank, and bringing life-changing investments to Flint. Michigan will miss his leadership in Congress. I’m wishing my dear friend a wonderful retirement with his family. Enjoy the grandkids!”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer: “No one fights harder for his constituents than Dan Kildee. After decades of service at the city and county level, he was elected to Congress, where he has fought to protect Social Security, public safety, and our Great Lakes. He also established the Flint Registry in the wake of the water crisis, ensuring impacted Michiganders got the resources and support they needed. Congressman Kildee knows the Bay region like the back of his Michigan mitten, and I am so grateful for our productive partnership. I am grateful for our collaboration to bring progress to areas of Michigan that too many left behind. We brought good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back to Flint, worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs with President Biden, and delivered on the issues that make a real difference in people’s lives. Thank you, Congressman Kildee. I look forward to another productive year together and I wish you and Jennifer the best in the years to come.”

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II: “Congressman Kildee is a model public servant. He fights for his community and stands tall for those who do not have a voice. Whether it’s taking on tough fights in Congress or winning tangible investments for people back home in Michigan, Dan gets it done. Congressman Kildee has been a friend, mentor, and shining example of what it means to be a committed public servant. I am honored to have had a chance to work with him on the issues that matter most to families in Flint and across Genesee County. He’s a strong leader who made Michigan a better place.”

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “A son of Flint, Congressman Dan Kildee has kept his hometown and the hardworking people of Michigan at the center of his career in public service. In Congress, Dan has been a champion for working families in the Heartland and throughout America. Amid the horrific Flint Water Crisis, Dan worked across the aisle to unite Republicans and Democrats to deliver much-needed relief to his community. In the years since, Dan has never stopped fighting for clean drinking water for Flint and communities across Michigan dealing with the harmful impacts of lead pipes, forever chemicals like PFAS and more. As a Member of the Ways and Means Committee, Dan helped spearhead legislation allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies, helping to lower drug costs for everyday Americans. Whether as a Co-Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee or on the baseball diamond, Dan has been a close and trusted friend since we arrived in Congress together. He will be greatly missed in the People’s House and the House Democratic Caucus. I wish him and his family the best as he embarks on this next chapter.”

Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal: “Congressman Dan Kildee has been a legislator’s legislator, and his retirement is a loss for the Ways and Means Committee and the people of Michigan’s Eighth District. For the last decade, he has led on trade issues, focusing on keeping jobs in his district, and ardently defended labor. His service has been defined by delivering results. Always ready for the camera and never forgetting where he came from—did you know he’s from Flint? Dan has a keen understanding of how to connect with his constituents and never wavered from their best interests. He surely left his mark on our great Committee and the Congress. I will miss my colleague and friend, but wish him, Jennifer, and their family all the best in what lies ahead.”

Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro: “For nearly five decades, Congressman Dan Kildee has been a dedicated and passionate public servant. From serving on the Flint Board of Education at just 18 years old in 1977 to his time serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, Dan has always delivered for his hometown of Flint, Michiganders, and Americans across the country.  He worked endlessly to bring the House together to provide resources and impactful solutions to Flint during the devastating water crisis there. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Dan through his leadership of the Child Labor Prevention Task Force, where we are fighting to address the disturbing rise in illegal child labor.”

Congressman John Moolenaar: “Dan and I have long worked together to help the residents of Mid-Michigan, including protecting the Great Lakes and securing $170 million to improve water infrastructure in Flint. We are good friends and I always enjoyed playing in the Congressional Baseball Game with him. Now Dan will have more time to enjoy BLTs from Tony’s. I wish him and his family all the best during his final year in Congress and in retirement.”

State Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet: “In every second of his decades of public service, Dan Kildee has put the greatest good of the people he serves above all else. From standing up for blue-collar workers and improving paths to prosperity, to defending women’s reproductive rights and fighting to make Flint whole after the water crisis, Congressman Kildee has delivered time and again for mid-Michigan families. Congress is losing a working class warrior and best-in-class public servant.”

Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Joe Tate: “Congressman Kildee has devoted his entire adult life to service. He is a model for the type of representative we want in Congress, advocating for his community and working to advance the issues that matter most to people. While I am sad to lose him as a member of Michigan’s congressional delegation, I have no doubt he will still find a way to help.”

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She replies: “Fighting for what is right –– no matter how difficult the journey ahead –– has always been my guiding star. I take that charge very seriously, so I am also taking this opportunity to explore a senate bid very seriously.

“Washington is becoming more unrecognizable and the lines of democracy are getting blurred. Without a doubt, those who are hurt the most due to the dysfunction in Washington are our children, women, minorities, farmers, veterans, hardworking families, and our small businesses. But these are the same communities that stood against MAGA extremism in Michigan and these are the same communities that will send someone to our nation’s capital. 

“I believe I am well qualified to represent our Michigan values in Washington and as I listen to folks from across this state, I continue to be encouraged and plan to have a response soon.”

Stabenow is stepping down after 24 years.

Pamela Pugh won a seat on the state K-12 Board of Education in 2014 and was re-elected last fall. Her peers on the eight-member board have appointed her as president for 2023-24.

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin already formally has announced to seek the Democrats’ nomination as a candidate to follow Stabenow’s footsteps. Another potential hopeful could include Congressman Andy Levin, nephew of Carl Levin, Michigan’s longest serving senator. 

Longer shots include former governor Jennifer Granholm and U.S Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has moved to Traverse City.

Republicans could include former Congressman Pete Meijer, who gave up his seat near Grand Rapids after he voted to impeach former President Trump; Tudor Dixon, who lost to Gretchen Whitmer last November; John James, twice defeated for the U.S Senate before winning a seat in Congress; Candice Miller, former congresswoman and secretary of state; and James Craig, former Detroit police chief who fell short on petition signatures to run for governor last year.

Wild cards are Rick Snyder, the former governor, and Amway’s Betsy DeVos, who was U.S. education secretary under Trump.

Two decades ago, Pugh’s first bid for elective office was in a five-way 2006 Democratic primary for the state House after term limits forced out Carl “Mac” Williams. Andrew Coulouris won the seat before moving out of town, succeeded by Stacy Erwin Oakes, then Vanessa Guerra, and now Amos O’Neal.

For a recent Saginaw Daily feature on Pamela Pugh’s career, click here.

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