Donavan McKinney Defeats Shri Thanedar in Michigan Primary

State Representative Donavan McKinney defeated incumbent Representative Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 13th Congressional District on August 5, 2026. McKinney, a Detroit native, ran as a democratic socialist and focused his campaign on his local background and opposition to the war in Gaza, which he characterized as a "genocide." This contrasted with Thanedar, who had consistently voted to fund aid for Israel.

McKinney secured endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, while Thanedar was backed by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Following the result, Thanedar stated that the "socialist movement that has defeated many sitting members in New York and elsewhere has come to Michigan, and we came out short." He pledged his support for McKinney in the general election, where McKinney is heavily favored to win.

The race was part of a larger trend of progressive victories in Michigan. In a separate contest, Abdul El-Sayed defeated incumbent Representative Haley Stevens for the Democratic Senate nomination despite over $32 million in spending against him from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Other primary results on the same day included Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson winning the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Michigan and Representative Wesley Bell defeating former Representative Cori Bush in a St. Louis House primary.