THE NEXT SPEAKER. THE FRESHMAN LAWMAKER IS AMONG THOSE WAITING TO BE SWORN IN FOR THE FIRST
TIME THAT WON’T HAPPEN UNTIL
THIS BATTLE ENDS. MEANTIME THE
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE HERE IN
MICHIGAN HAS BEEN SHAKEN UP THIS
AFTERNOON, AS SENATOR DEBBIE
STABENOW ANNOUNCES SHE WILL NOT
SEEK RE ELECTION IN 2024. SHE
WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE SENATE
BACK IN 2000, AND SHE HAS BECOME
THE THIRD MOST SENIOR DEMOCRAT
IN THAT CHAMBER. KRISTY MCDONALD
SPOKE WITH THE SENATOR TODAY
ABOUT HER LIFE IN POLITICS AND
WHY SHE’S MAKING THE DECISION.
SHE JOINS US NOW, CHRISTIE. WELL
KAREN, MANY OF US HERE IN
MICHIGAN CAN’T REMEMBER A TIME
WHERE SENATOR STABENOW DIDN’T
HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE AT THE STATE
OR CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL, SHE’S
HAD A HAND IN POLICIES. THAT
AFFECT ALL OF OUR LIVES IN THIS
STATE, BUT SHE FEELS IT’S TIME
TO MAKE WAY FOR A NEW GENERATION
OF LEADERS AND FINISHED HER LAST
TWO YEARS OF WORK IN THE SENATE.
YEAH AT THIS POINT IN TIME,
THERE’S REALLY TWO THINGS THAT
I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT. UM I
THINK IT’S A GOOD TIME TO PASS
THE TORCH TO THE NEXT GENERATION
. WE HAVE WONDERFUL LEADERS IN
MICHIGAN AND I’VE ALWAYS FELT
IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE PART OF
OPENING THOSE DOORS, CREATING
OPPORTUNITIES AND PASSING THE
TORCH. AND FOR ME PERSONALLY, MY
MOM IS 96. YEAH AND 15 WONDERFUL
GRANDCHILDREN AND I, AND
CERTAINLY FROM MOM WHO’S BEEN MY
BIGGEST BIGGEST SUPPORTER. IT’S
IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HAVE THE
FLEXIBILITY WHILE DOING MY JOB
THE NEXT TWO YEARS NOT TO HAVE
THE RIGORS OF THE CAMPAIGN, BUT
TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE FOR HER
WHEN SHE NEEDS ME, TALK TO ME A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT HAVE REALLY IMPACTED
YOU IN TERMS OF CAUSES, AND WE
LOOK AT GREAT LAKES ISSUES. WHEN
WE TALK ABOUT AGRICULTURE, THE
FARM BUILDING, PROUD OF BE A
LEADER AND HAVE BEEN A LEADER ON
US MANUFACTURING AND NEW
VEHICLES AND AGRICULTURE AND
BRINGING OUR TYPE OF AGRICULTURE
INTO THE FARM BELT. MENTAL
HEALTH TRANSFORMING MENTAL
HEALTH TO BE A PART OF
HEALTHCARE, NOT SOMETHING
SEPARATE IS A VERY IMPORTANT
THING FOR ME. CAN YOU GIVE ME A
SPECIFIC STORY OF YOUR TIME IN
THE SENATE, WHERE YOU SAT BACK
ONE DAY AND EVERYONE LEFT YOUR
OFFICE? AND YOU SAID YES. THAT’S
WHY I’M DOING WHAT I’M DOING
THERE. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, BUT
I DO HAVE TO SAY, UM, HAVING
WORKED FOR 10 YEARS WITH MY
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUE, ROY BLUNT
, WHO JUST RETIRED, UM ON
TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES AS PART OF THE
GUN BILL WE PASSED LAST SUMMER,
AND THAT WAS A MOMENT WHEN I
SAID THIS REALLY, REALLY MATTERS
. YOU HAVE BEEN A TRAILBLAZER
FOR WOMEN. IN POLITICS. UM
DESCRIBE, I GUESS THE ROAD OR
THE PATH HOW HARD IT HAS BEEN
FOR YOU STARTED 24. I WAS A
GRADUATE STUDENT AT MICHIGAN
STATE AND GOT INVOLVED IN AN
EFFORT TO SAVE THE LOCAL NURSING
HOME, THE M COUNTY MEDICAL CARE
FACILITY, AND THEN I WAS URGED
TO RUN FOR OFFICE, AND ONE THING
LED TO ANOTHER. BUT THERE WERE
NOT MANY DOORS OPEN. YOU KNOW, I
FELT LIKE I HAD TO BUST DOWN THE
DOOR. IN THE EARLY DAYS. IT WAS
LIKE YOU COULD HAVE ONE WOMAN,
YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE ONE.
BUT THAT’S ALL AND SO POWER IN
THE ABILITY TO CONTRIBUTE COMES
FROM NUMBER TWO. NUMBER THREE
NUMBER FOUR. AND SO I HOPE I
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUST OPEN A
LADDER DOORS AND KEEP THEM OPEN.
LEAVING THE SENATE. WHAT DO YOU
WORRY ABOUT? WELL IN IN MY NEXT
TWO YEARS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE
I’M I’M PART OF SHOWING PEOPLE
THAT WE CAN GOVERN. WE CAN GET
THINGS DONE ACROSS THE AISLE. IT
WAS REALLY A GREAT CONVERSATION
WITH HER AND SENATOR STABENOW.
SO SHOULD BE WORKING ON A NEW
FARM BILL AS WELL IN THE NEXT
TWO YEARS. VERY IMPORTANT TO
HER. OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU TAKE A
LOOK AT HER LEGACY OF THE NEXT
QUESTION, WHO IS GOING TO TAKE
THE SEAT REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT?
OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE’S GOING TO BE
FIGHTING FOR THIS SPOT. OH YES,
I MEAN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT
ARE HAPPENING TODAY, KAREN. I’VE
GOT TO BE AMAZING, AND SENATOR
STABENOW WOULD NOT SHARE WITH ME
WHO SHE’S TALKING TO, SHE SAYS.
SHE’S PART OF A LOT OF
CONVERSATIONS. THE LIST IS
STARTING TO GROW OF WHO MIGHT
RUN FOR THAT OPEN SEAT. WE’RE
GOING TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT
THE POLITICS SURROUNDING THIS
THE LOSS OF CLOUT IN WASHINGTON
WITH HER DEPARTURE FROM THE
SENATE, IT’S ALL COMING UP TODAY
ON LOCAL 4 NEWS AT FIVE O’CLOCK,
THAT MOMENT THAT YOU TALKED
ABOUT WHAT SHE DID FOR WOMEN IN
GENERAL, DESPITE YOUR POLITICS,
OPENING THE DOORS AND MAKING A
CHANGE. ABSOLUTELY SHE HAS BEEN