Karen McDonald grew up in Portland, Michigan, alongside her two sisters, in a working-class family that taught her the value of hard work, honesty, and standing up for others. 

Her dad worked construction and her mom stayed home to care for the girls. Together, they did what they could to make ends meet, and Karen followed their example — juggling multiple jobs to put herself through college. Those early experiences instilled in her the grit, empathy, and sense of responsibility that continue to guide her.

Karen’s first job out of college was as a high school English teacher in Midland. In the classroom, she found her calling: advocating for kids, helping families, and believing in second chances. She was a proud member of the Michigan Education Association and saw firsthand how organized labor protects and empowers working people.

Driven by a desire to do the most good, Karen left teaching to attend Wayne State University Law School.

She went on to serve as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Oakland County where she focused on child sexual assault cases. Later, as a civil and family law attorney in private practice, Karen continued to stand up for families — all while raising children of her own.
In 2012, Karen was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court, where she served as a family court judge for seven years. She handled some of the toughest cases — child abuse, custody battles, and juvenile matters — always bringing compassion, fairness, and a deep understanding of the people behind the paperwork.

Elected Oakland County Prosecutor in 2020, Karen brought that same approach to the entire criminal justice system. She’s led with common sense and compassion — setting up special units to take on human trafficking, hate crimes, and wrongful convictions.

She even took the extraordinary step of reviewing every pending juvenile lifer case in Oakland County, because she believes justice should be fair, especially for children.

When tragedy struck at Oxford High School in 2021, Karen sat with the families of victims and turned her community’s grief into bold action. Securing landmark convictions in the Oxford prosecutions was important, but it was not enough. Karen’s actions sent a clear message: as a state and a country, we can do more to prevent gun violence.

Karen’s leadership in the wake of Oxford has helped spark honest conversations about gun safety across the country.

She continues to push for holistic, common-sense solutions to prevent both mass shootings and the everyday gun violence that plagues too many communities.

Today, Karen lives in metro Detroit with her husband, and together they’ve raised five kids. She knows what it’s like to worry about the future — and she’s made it her life’s work to fight for one that’s safer, fairer, and full of opportunity for every Michigan family. From the classroom to the courtroom, Karen McDonald has always stood up for what’s right.

And she’s just getting started.