Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday she will skip next month’s Michigan Democratic Party convention, stating she fears harassment if she attends.
Nessel made the remarks during a roundtable discussion with Jewish leaders and community members from across the state. She said she no longer believes she would be welcome at the party’s Aug. 29 nominating convention in Lansing.
“I feel like my presence isn’t going to be welcome,” Nessel said. “I don’t want to get chased around. I don’t want to get harassed.”
“I don’t want to get yelled and screamed at. I don’t want to get booed off the stage, irrespective of what I’m saying,” she continued. “And I believe that if I go, that is what will happen because it’s been happening to me.”
Nessel said the increasingly hostile political climate has made civil discussions difficult, arguing that disagreements should not result in intimidation or threats.
“I will speak as a member of the Democratic Party here in Michigan,” she added. “Some things have changed. This cannot continue. We must be able to have intelligent discourse and debate about ideas without people being threatened, and certainly without people carrying out those threats.”
Nessel, who is Jewish, made the comments during a discussion focused on issues affecting Michigan’s Jewish community.
Her remarks come as divisions over the Israel-Hamas war have fueled tensions within Democratic Party organizations in Michigan and across the country, with protests and demonstrations occurring at party gatherings over the past two years.
The Michigan Democratic Party said it is working to ensure the convention provides a safe environment for everyone attending. Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman stated: “We reject antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hateful conduct. We are working diligently with stakeholders, elected officials, and party membership to prepare for our August convention and look forward to welcoming Michigan Democrats to the Lansing Center on August 29.”
During the convention, Democrats are expected to nominate candidates for statewide offices and conduct other party business ahead of the November elections. Nessel did not indicate whether she would participate in any convention activities remotely or through an alternative format.
