Overview
- Donavan McKinney narrowly beat two-term Rep. Shri Thanedar in the Aug. 4–5 Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th District, with the Associated Press projecting about 51.9% to 48.1%.
- McKinney is a 34-year-old state lawmaker aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and was backed by high-profile progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.
- Thanedar is a wealthy, largely self-funding incumbent who left or was expelled from the DSA in 2023 and drew criticism during the campaign over reported cryptocurrency campaign losses of more than $2 million and use of office funds for TV-style ads.
- Michigan’s 13th is a heavily Democratic district that includes most of Detroit, making McKinney the heavy favorite in the November general election and likely to restore Black representation from the city in Congress.
- The upset is viewed as part of a wider 2026 progressive insurgency that has toppled multiple incumbents and sharpened an intra-party debate over ideology, electability, and representation while reducing the number of Indian-American House members.