Washington ― Michigan U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet on Tuesday went after her fellow Democrats for what she called “deeply troubling” behavior on the floor of the state party’s convention on Sunday.
The freshman congresswoman from Bay City cited the “bullying” of pro-Israel candidates and the nomination of a Democratic contender for the University of Michigan Board of Regents who reposted and later deleted praise for Hezbollah and antisemitic remarks on his social media account.
Noting that she’s the only Michigan Democrat to win a Trump-won congressional district in 2024, McDonald Rivet said such tactics and decisions could hurt her party’s chances to win back power in the fall midterm elections.
“What I saw on the MDP Convention floor is deeply troubling ― for what it says about who we are, how we win, and whether we will be able to meet this urgent moment,” McDonald Rivet said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We need to be able to disagree, while treating one another with dignity and respect. We don’t name-call. We don’t belittle and bully. We don’t shout people down. We don’t make them feel unwelcome or unsafe based on who they are. We reject all forms of hate, including both antisemitism and Islamophobia.”
McDonald Rivet appeared to be referring in part to the booing of U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and Jordan Acker of Huntington Woods, both pro-Israel candidates, when they were announced on stage in their respective U.S. Senate and University of Michigan Board of Regents races.
Stevens’ rival, Abdul El-Sayed, a fierce critic of Israeli policies, later said the booing of Stevens was “unkind and unnecessary,” and that his campaign wasn’t behind it. “I would not condone that kind of behavior,” El-Sayed said in a video posted online.
McDonald Rivet said she was “excited” to run with some of the convention nominees this fall, but said others who were selected by Democratic delegates hold “extreme positions and records — like calling Tucker Carlson ‘a real one,’ Hezbollah leaders ‘martyrs,’ or amplifying Qasem Soleimani,'” the deceased Iranian military commander who was killed by the U.S. in 2020.
Those views, McDonald Rivet said, “are out of step with my values and those of Democrats across our state.”
The reference was to Dearborn attorney Amir Makled, who represented several students who faced charges after protests calling on UM to divest from weapons manufacturing and Israel.
Makled defeated incumbent UM Regent Acker, a Jewish Democrat whose home and law office were vandalized during UM’s campus unrest.
Acker was ousted after The Guardian on Friday reported that he appeared to have made obscene sexual comments about a Democratic Party strategist and lewd comments about a female UM student in Slack messages.
When asked Sunday about the messages by The News, Acker said the allegations were “ridiculous” and “fake.” Acker’s attorney, Ethan Holtz, later sent a statement to The News alleging Acker “has never been on Slack” and that the messages contained elements that appeared to be “doctored.”
But on Tuesday, the University of Michigan launched an investigation into Acker’s purported Slack messages. UM Board of Regents Chair Mark Bernstein and Vice Chair Michael Behm said in a statement that they reported the messages and that the matter would be “thoroughly, fairly, and expeditiously” investigated.
The university’s Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs said the messages were “disgusting,” a “violation of trust and professional standards” and “unbecoming of the position.” The committee said if the allegations were true, Acker should resign immediately.
Another of the unsuccessful candidates at Sunday’s convention was Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who lost the nomination for attorney general to Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit. She is McDonald Rivet’s twin sister.
Savit is expected to face Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, the Republican nominee for attorney general, in November’s general election.
mburke@detroitnews.com
Staff Writer Beth LeBlanc contributed.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan rep rips fellow Democrats for ‘troubling’ convention behavior
Reporting by Melissa Nann Burke, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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