McDonald Rivet seeks House Democratic leadership role focused on battleground districts

As the dust of election season settles across the country, the representative from Michigan’s politically purple 8th Congressional District has raised her hand to lead House Democrats’ frontline efforts at expanding their majority in 2028.

As first reported by The Washington Sun, U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) sent out a letter on Thursday calling on her colleagues to elect her as the next “Battleground Leadership Representative.”

McDonald Rivet is serving her first term in the U.S. House after previously serving in the Michigan Senate. McDonald Rivet helped Democrats retain control of Michigan’s 8th District during her 2024 campaign, and recently won reelection against retired GM engineer Thomas Smith, who dropped out of the Republican primary weeks before he was selected to represent the party in the general election.

In a copy of the letter shared with Michigan Advance, McDonald Rivet congratulated her colleagues on their hard-fought victories in 2026, before looking ahead to 2028. 

“Our reward is a new set of challenges: the final two years of the Trump presidency, a 2028 cycle sure to bring plenty of landmines, and, most importantly, the responsibility to make good on our promises in the 120th Congress,” McDonald Rivet said. “To succeed, our caucus must look to the members who made this majority possible to help shape how we lead.”

McDonald Rivet, who serves as the freshman leadership representative for the New Democrat Coalition and vice chair of the Majority Democrats political action committee, noted she had spent her career running in political battlegrounds and was one of the candidates who helped deliver Michigan Dems their razor-thin 20-18 majority in the state Senate.

“We cannot squander the opportunity to deliver on the promises that brought us into the majority – people are hungry for results, and it’s our job to meet the moment,” McDonald Rivet said. “I would be honored to serve as your Battleground Leadership Representative, work alongside each of you to make the most of this moment, and help turn the hopes of the people who sent us here into real results.”

If elected, McDonald Rivet would succeed Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), who created the battleground leadership role in 2022.