Spurned by Dem convention voters, former AG candidate Karen McDonald launches ‘common sense’ PAC

Following a contentious spring convention, which saw wins for several progressive candidates seeking to represent Democrats on the November ballot, a former candidate for attorney general is launching a political action committee she says will support candidates who “govern with courage and common sense.”

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who previously sought the Democratic nomination to replace Attorney General Dana Nessel this year, announced last week that she was launching the Common Sense Coalition PAC to support leaders “who put reason over noise” and “people above party and politics.”

“Like many of you, I’m frustrated with the state of our politics – a system that increasingly rewards theatrics, purity tests, and extremism instead of integrity, service, and results. I have always been drawn to where I can do the most good, and I can see the work that needs to be done,” McDonald said in a statement Tuesday. “That’s why I started the Common Sense Coalition PAC – to support leaders who step forward with courage and integrity, make room for everyone, and take the time to meet people where they are.”

McDonald told Michigan Advance in an interview Friday that she was concerned about what she saw at the Michigan Democratic Endorsement Convention in April, saying she witnessed “a very significant attempt to shout down and really bully people from saying what they think.”

During the convention, divisions between party members over Israel came into full view, as U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) was booed over her support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which both Amnesty International and a United Nations independent commission have deemed a genocide.

“I have spoken with many, many, many people, particularly people in the Jewish community, who have told me ‘I did not feel safe,’” McDonald said. “There was shouting, there was screaming, there was booing over any candidate or expression of thought that wasn’t consistent with the loudest group of people there.”

Democrats should be celebrating a diversity of thought, McDonald said, telling the Advance her message throughout her campaign was “there’s room for all of us in this party.”

“That was soundly rejected, and so the PAC is my answer to that,” McDonald said.

Michigan needs candidates who will govern based on the law and what makes sense for the entire state, McDonald said, arguing the convention process allows a small group of people to make decisions about the party.

“I think clearly there needs to be some changes to that, but it’s much deeper than that for me,” McDonald said. “I disagree with a lot of people about a lot of things, but they always have a seat at the table and I’m always going to listen to it. More importantly, I’m always going to treat them with respect. If you were present at the convention, you cannot say that that happened, because it did not.”

Israel’s war on Gaza also took center stage in the Michigan Democratic party’s 2024 convention, as well, when members supporting the Palestinian people said they felt ignored by the party. Frustration with then-President Joe Biden’s support for Israel sparked the Uncommitted National Movement, which encouraged Democratic voters to withhold their support for Biden in the 2024 primary as well as for the eventual nominee, former Vice President Kamala Harris, in the general election . 

That movement sparked the creation of The People’s Coalition, a self-described “multi-faith, multi-racial movement” working to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups within the party.

When asked what message her PAC sends to members of the party who had been vocal in their support for Palestinians and demanded more from Democrats in their opposition to Republican President Donald Trump, McDonald said there are serious human rights concerns at stake with Israel and its war in Gaza. 

However, in traveling across the state, McDonald said there were many people with strong concerns about how they will afford food and gas and whether they can access health insurance.

“While I think it’s important to listen and acknowledge the implications of, you know, our communities in the Detroit area, and somebody’s right to protest and free speech, these are all very important issues — and protecting people from from hate crimes — but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the rest of the people in the state and what their concerns are,” McDonald said.

McDonald also shared frustrations about the party’s decision to dismiss an appeal filed by State Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit), who also lost her nomination hunt for a seat on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. Santana had concerns that the party had not enforced an in-person voting rule following the discovery that at least one of the delegates had voted from home.

While McDonald did not file an appeal, she did request an independent audit of the convention’s results, which she says the party refused to do.

“I’ve yet to hear a reason why, and I think what that says is that, in this moment, we have people that are more concerned about protecting the party than they are about doing what is right,” McDonald said.

When asked about how the party’s appeals committee reached its decision, Derrick Honeyman, a party spokesperson told the Advance he didn’t have anything to share beyond the party’s initial statement on the matter, but noted all 11 members of the committee were present for their June 2 meeting and had voted unanimously to dismiss the appeal. 

McDonald said her PAC is made up of many people who feel politically homeless and who share her concerns about the party, and that it would be rolling out information on its advisory board in the future.

“There’s power and unity in finding others who are on your same page, and the more we can amplify that we do exist, I think we’re going to make it better,” McDonald said. “We’re going to make the process better and hopefully we’re going to make the party better.”