State Rep. Donavan McKinney Defeats Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan's 13th District Democratic Primary
The Facts
- Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 13th Congressional District, with 51.9% to 48.1% of the vote.
- The Associated Press called the race at 9:55 a.m. Wednesday, the morning after the Tuesday primary.
- McKinney, 34, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, along with several members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
- Thanedar, 71, was seeking a third term and was endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; he was the first Indian American to represent Michigan in Congress.
- The 13th District includes parts of Detroit and suburbs such as Allen Park, Hamtramck, Romulus and Wyandotte, and votes heavily Democratic, making the primary winner the likely favorite in November.
- McKinney's win would give majority-Black Detroit its first Black member of Congress since 2022, when Thanedar was elected.
- The result is part of a broader pattern this cycle in which left-wing and DSA-backed challengers have defeated Democratic incumbents, including Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York and Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado.
- Thanedar, who immigrated from India and built a business fortune before entering politics, largely self-funded his campaigns and had advantages in money and name recognition in this race.
- McKinney has not yet won the seat; he must still defeat Republican nominee Taras Nykoriak in the November general election.
Context
What policies did the two candidates run on?
Both candidates identified as progressives — Thanedar was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and both supported universal health care and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement NYT,NY Post. McKinney campaigned on a platform including "Medicare for All" and new restrictions on U.S. military aid to Israel, and emphasized his Detroit roots Yahoo,NBC News,TheGrio. Thanedar initially ran as a progressive but broke with the Democratic Socialists of America in 2023 Firstpost,Breitbart.
What role did outside groups play?
Justice Democrats, which targets incumbents it considers out of step with their districts, helped recruit McKinney and spent close to $1 million on his behalf, making the 13th District one of its largest efforts this cycle POLITICO. In his victory statement, McKinney pointed to Thanedar's support from the cryptocurrency industry and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee TheGrio,HuffPost. The Detroit branch of the DSA also backed McKinney Hill.
How does this affect Indian American representation in Congress?
Thanedar was one of six Indian American members of the House at the start of 2025; his defeat follows Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi's unsuccessful Illinois Senate primary bid, leaving the group down two seats in one cycle Breitbart,Hindustan Times. Reacting to the loss, Thanedar said the movement that had defeated sitting members in New York and elsewhere "has come to Michigan, and we came out short" Breitbart.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Money, name recognition and leadership's endorsement failed to hold the seat against a DSA-backed challenger — an outcome both reads treat as a real signal, not a fluke.
- Where Left and Right split
- A majority-Black district reclaiming representation leadership's money couldn't buy, or the DSA consolidating a city's delegation with no argument made against it.
How left and right read it
A self-funded incumbent with the money, the name recognition and the backing of House leadership lost by fewer than four points to a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist carried by Sanders, Tlaib and Congressional Black Caucus members — the same pattern that has toppled other Democratic incumbents this cycle. And majority-Black Detroit gets a Black member of Congress again. Party leadership should stop treating financial advantage as a substitute for representation the district actually chose.
“But Thanedar's tenure in Congress has been marred by staff turnover and allegations of excessive vanity, as well as grumbling that at least one of Detroit's two House districts ought to be represented by an African American.” — HuffPost
A self-funded incumbent with advantages in money, name recognition and his leader's endorsement lost narrowly to a Democratic Socialists of America member, part of a pattern already unseating Democratic incumbents this cycle. Detroit is on track to be the only major American city whose entire House delegation belongs to the DSA. That program deserves an open argument — for markets, for individual agency — not a concession that the seat is unwinnable.
“State Rep. Donavan McKinney's victory over Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan's 13th Congressional District Democratic primary put Detroit on track to become the only major American city whose entire U.S. House delegation belongs to the Democratic Socialists of America.” — The Daily Wire
The receipts — 65 sources
Wire services (4)
Independent coverage (61)
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