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Shri Thanedar concedes MI-13 primary race
The loss marks the end of Thanedar's bid for a third term representing Michigan's 13th Congressional District.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 05, Aug 2026
- 15:09 EDT
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Congressman Shri Thanedar / X (Shri Thanedar)
Congressman Shri Thanedar conceded Michigan's Democratic primary for the 13th Congressional District on Aug. 5 to state Rep. Donavan McKinney.
McKinney defeated the two-term incumbent with 57,714 votes, or 51.9 percent, while Thanedar received 53,494 votes, or 48.1 percent, according to projected results from Wayne County, where 95 percent of votes had been reported.
Also Read: Pramila Jayapal advances to November general election
In a statement following the race, Thanedar congratulated McKinney and thanked voters for the opportunity to serve Michigan's 13th District in Congress.
Congressman Shri Thanedar Congratulates Donavan McKinney.
— Shri Thanedar (@ShriThanedar) August 5, 2026
DETROIT, MI — Today, Congressman Thanedar came up just short in his bid for a third term to represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
“I want to congratulate Representative Donavan McKinney on a hard fought race.…
"I want to congratulate Representative Donavan McKinney on a hard fought race. It was a tough election cycle and, in the end, the voters of the 13th District chose him to represent them moving forward," Thanedar said.
"It was the honor of my life to represent the 13th District in the United States Congress. I'm proud of all the work we did, from solving over 4,300 constituent cases, to securing $45 million in funding for projects in every single part of the district, to leading the fight against Trump and his administration. I look forward to serving out the remainder of my term and wish Representative McKinney the best."
Thanedar later said he had personally called McKinney to congratulate him and offer a smooth transition.
"This morning, I called Rep. Donavan McKinney and congratulated him on his win. I offered him full cooperation and a smooth transition," he wrote on X.
The Indian American entrepreneur has represented Michigan's 13th Congressional District since 2023 after winning a crowded Democratic primary in 2022.
During this year's campaign, he secured endorsements from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar.
However, his re-election bid was overshadowed by criticism over his unsuccessful push to impeach President Donald Trump without backing from Democratic leadership, scrutiny of his campaign spending, and disagreements with progressives over his support for Israel.
McKinney, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, entered the race more than a year before the primary and campaigned on Medicare for All, expanded investments in affordable housing and clean energy, and restrictions on U.S. military aid to Israel.
He also emphasized his upbringing in poverty, becoming the first member of his family to attend college, and his work in the Michigan Legislature.
His campaign was backed by several prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Senate Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, and organizations such as Justice Democrats and Leaders We Deserve.
The race was viewed as a test of the Democratic Party's progressive movement in a safely Democratic Detroit-area district. McKinney's victory came on the same night that El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, underscoring the strength of progressive candidates in the state.
McKinney will face Republican nominee T.P. Nykoriak in the November general election.
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