Michigan state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) participates in a roundtable with small business owners in Flint, Mich., on Sept. 20, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)
With less than a month until Election Day, state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet is showcasing her record on public safety as she secures an endorsement from one of the state’s oldest law enforcement unions.
The Michigan Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) announced on Tuesday it would endorse McDonald Rivet in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District — one of the most competitive in the county — pointing to her work to support law enforcement in previous offices.
Republican nominee for Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District Paul Junge campaigns in Lansing on Aug. 27, 2022. (Andrew Roth | Michigan Advance)
“As a dedicated leader with a proven track record of advocacy and community engagement, Kristen embodies the qualities we need in our representatives,” Michigan Fraternal Order of Police President Michael Sauger said in a statement.
McDonald Rivet is set to face Paul Junge, a Trump-endorsed former prosecutor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services appointee, on election day, as both candidates seek to fill the seat left open by retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Flint).
With more than 10,000 members, the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police was founded in 1939 as the state lodge of the national Fraternal Order of Police, which announced its endorsement of former President Donald Trump in September.
Alongside the Michigan Fraternal Order of Police, McDonald Rivet’s campaign also secured endorsements from the Michigan Corrections Organization, the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, appearing with Swanson and Leyton in an ad launched Tuesday where they noted her support for increased law enforcement funding in the Legislature.
“Keeping our communities safe has been and always will be a top priority for me, and I am honored to have the FOP in my corner,” McDonald Rivet said in a statement. “I will always stand by our police officers and fight to get them the resources, tools, and training they need to keep us safe.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.