Donavan McKinney

Donavan McKinney grew up in northeast Detroit, raised by his mother and grandmother, and attended Detroit Public Schools.¹ His mother often worked two or three jobs, and he has described his own bus ride to school as about two hours.² He and his wife, Shaunté, have two children.¹

McKinney graduated from the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.³ His career has included community development work, coalition organizing with SEIU Healthcare Michigan and serving as national political director for Climate Power.³ He has also organized school visits bringing musicians, engineers, authors and other guests to talk with students about mentorship and their futures.³

Now in his second Michigan House term, he represents northeast Detroit and part of Warren.³ Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to a state environmental justice council in January 2020.³ In 2026, he put forward a community solar proposal allowing residents, including renters, to subscribe to shared solar installations and receive credits on their electricity bills.⁴ His plan reserves substantial participation for households with low incomes.⁴

His congressional platform supports Medicare for All, universal basic income and stronger rights to organize a union.² He proposes higher taxes on billionaires and corporations to fund investments in housing, education, healthcare and clean air and water.² He also advocates expanded public transit and a transition to renewable energy through a Green New Deal.²