She grew up in Greenville, Mississippi and studied history at Texas Christian University, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees.
In 1974, she became a local campaign manager and later a staffer for Governor David Boren, who was elected as a US senator.
In 1979, McDonald moved to Washington, D.C., with her husband, who joined the Federal Election Commission.
After leaving that position, she was appointed to Maryland's Public Service Commission.
McDonald and her husband moved to North Carolina in 2004, where she took a position with the state Ports Authority.