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Oct 23, 2024

Junge, McDonald Rivet square off two weeks before Election Day | Politics | abc12.com

Reporter The two candidates are vying for the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee in a race that has been labeled a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. KOCHVILLE TOWNSHIP,

Reporter

The two candidates are vying for the seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee in a race that has been labeled a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

KOCHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich.Mid-Michigan voters got the opportunity to learn more about the candidates for Michigan's 8th Congressional District Tuesday.

With the election exactly two weeks away, Republican Paul Junge and Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet faced off in a candidate forum at Saginaw Valley State University.

The forum offered a cordial atmosphere with both candidates acknowledging their similarities, but there were plenty of differences on display too.

"I just want to bring it back to what we hear on people's porches, and that is the need for higher wages, more jobs," said McDonald Rivet. "So, it there is going to be electric vehicles then I want them made right here in Michigan and in fact, I want them made in Bay City, Saginaw, and Flint."

"Should my opponent go to Congress, I hope she'll buck her usual 99 percent voting with her party if that issue comes up for Congress because you can count on me that I will oppose EV mandates and I will tell you that I also oppose any incentives for selling EV cars," responded Junge.

The two candidates squared off on a variety of issues from the economy and manufacturing to foreign affairs.

"It's important that Israel is able to defend itself, but right now [they are] stopping humanitarian aid at the border, entertaining strategies that allow for starvation, bombing of the hospitals that get rid of all of the ability to have any sort of medical care for the innocent civilians that are living there. It's something that we have to get very urgently moved toward a solution and a ceasefire and ultimately work with our allies in the region for a two-state solution," McDonald Rivet said in response to a question from an attendee about the conflict in Israel.

Junge took a much harder stance on the issue.

"You know I think it is important to be clear, every death in Gaza is the fault of Hamas. All they have to do to end the conflict is release the hostages," he said. "The cowardly leaders of Hamas use hospitals and schools as places to store their munitions and places to fire rockets from."

The candidates used the platform as an opportunity to set the record straight. For Junge, that included refuting claims that he was for cutting social security or a national abortion ban.

"I appreciate this opportunity to again help dispel some misinformation that's a subject of a lot of TV commercials and social media. I too oppose a national abortion ban," he said.

But on both issues, McDonald Rivet said the Grand Blanc businessman could not run from his record.

"[He] told the Midland Daily News that he would celebrate the day abortion rights were gone. [He] is on video saying he is 100% pro-life at all times. Listen, I'm not making this up. This is what he said in his two previous congressional campaigns."

The candidates also attempted to separate themselves from the way they have been portrayed on ads on tv.

"Being a political candidate means you are going to have shots taken at you, but I do think it's right to be concerned that's why I'm always in favor of transparency around donations and I can assure people that as the primary funder of my campaign, my only responsibility will be to the voters of Michigan's 8th District," said Junge in response to a question about the amount of money in politics.

"Now in total, has put almost 6.5 million dollars over the last three cycles into his campaign. We have raised it in a coalition of thousands. But my question if someone is willing to put that much of their personal money into a campaign to get themselves a title. What are they expecting back?" McDonald Rivet rebutted.

The two are vying to replace Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee for a seat that has been labeled a toss-up by the non-partisan Cook Political Report. It includes parts of Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, and Midland Counties.

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