Yesterday, Karen McDonald officially filed to run for Oakland County Prosecutor. Though she announced her campaign in early summer of 2019, soon after giving up her career as an Oakland County Circuit Court Judge, Michigan law requires a one-year hiatus after stepping down from the bench before filing for a partisan position like Oakland County Prosecutor. As of April 12th, that requirement has been met in full.
“Serving as a family court judge was an immense honor, but I knew I had to step down to run for Prosecutor after seeing firsthand how Jessica Cooper’s leadership no longer reflected the needs of Oakland County,” McDonald said on her one year anniversary of leaving the bench.
Though her name was only officially added to the ballot after the completion of her year-long hiatus, McDonald did not waste any time preparing for her race. On the contrary, the McDonald campaign saw overwhelming success in 2019, both with record-breaking fundraising totals and an unprecedented amount of early endorsements from big-name Democrats like Michigan’s 54th Attorney General Dana Nessel, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, and seven of Oakland County’s ten Democratic state legislators: Senators Rosemary Bayer and Mallory McMorrow, Representatives Jim Ellison, Brenda Carter, Kyra Bolden, and Mari Manoogian, and House Democratic Leader Christine Greig.
“Jessica Cooper has had twelve years to improve our courts, tackle the opioid epidemic, and reduce our prison populations. We can’t afford another term of her ‘No Nonsense’ approach that is producing no solutions,” McDonald continued. “I left my career as a judge because I knew we needed a change in the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, and the fact that I have received such widespread support from state and local leaders before my name was even on the ballot proves I am not alone in this belief.”
In addition to her vast number of 2019 endorsements, McDonald received over $200,000 in donations within the first six months of her campaign, breaking county records by raising more money than any Prosecutorial candidate has raised the year before the election in the history of Oakland County. In 2020, that fundraising total has grown to over $300,000. With the added push of this week’s anniversary and official filing bolstering McDonald’s already established momentum, the campaign estimates great success in their transition to online voter outreach and fundraising, and they confidently await the August 4th primary.
About Karen McDonald
On top of the endorsements from Attorney General Dana Nessel, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, and the seven Oakland County legislators listed above, she has received endorsements from numerous local leaders like Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting, Madison Heights Mayor Brian Hartwell, Royal Oak County Commissioner Sharlan Douglas, Fems for Dems Founder Lori Goldman, Southfield Precinct Delegate Millie Hall, and the Greater Royal Oak Democratic Club Chair Tom Regan. Her campaign also boasts overwhelming union support, including endorsements from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights—one of Michigan’s largest PACs, the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers Locals 4123, 4009, and 4100, Iron Workers Local 25, Postal Workers Local 295, Laborers Local 1076, Plumbers Local 98, and Pipefitters Local 636. Karen has also been endorsed by SEIU Healthcare and is an official Fems for Dems approved candidate.