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2026 candidates we're tracking in MI-8
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Kristen McDonald Rivet
Democratic
Incumbent
Kristen McDonald Rivet is the sitting U.S. Representative for this district, a Bay City resident first elected in 2024 who previously served in the Michigan Senate, per Michigan Advance. She appears on the certified August 4 listing, per the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
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Thomas J. Smith
Republican
Thomas J. Smith SUSPENDED HIS CAMPAIGN ON JULY 16, 2026, though his name still prints on the August 4 ballot, per Michigan Advance. He is a retired General Motors engineer and small business owner who describes himself as a husband, father of three veterans and a small business owner who believes in faith, family, hard work and personal responsibility, per Michigan Advance. He helped develop and commercialize a specialty salsa built on a lemon lime base rather than a tomato base, per MIRS News. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
About this race
Michigan's 8th Congressional District elects one member of the U.S. House of Representatives to a two-year term. Every House seat in the country is on the ballot in 2026. The Michigan primary is Tuesday, August 4, 2026, and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.