McKinney Unseats Thanedar In Michigan's 13th Congressional District

Michigan Advance

August 5, 2026

Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney has emerged victorious in the race for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, lodging a successful challenge against incumbent U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit).

The Associated Press called the race for McKinney at 9:55 a.m. Wednesday. Unofficial results show McKinney received 51.9% of the vote, while Thanedar received 48.1% with 99% of votes counted.

Michigan’s 13th Congressional District serves as a stronghold for Democrats and is made up of portions of Detroit and its suburbs, including Allen Park, Hamtramck, Romulus and Wyandotte.

While Thanedar had the backing of U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), McKinney was endorsed by multiple progressive members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) and Summer Lee (D-Pa.). McKinney also had the support of fellow Detroit-area Rep. Rashida Tlaib and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).

Thanedar issued a statement on Facebook congratulating McKinney on the win.

McKinney’s upset win also came despite Thanedar’s large cash advantage, with campaign finance reports indicating the incumbent congressman had raised $390,276 over the course of this campaign cycle, with $5 million cash on hand. McKinney, in contrast, had raised $1.37 million, with $142,853 in cash on hand.

McKinney is almost assured to be elected to Congress in the reliably Democratic district. The only Republican candidate, T.P. Nykoriak, was sentenced in 2016 to 16 months in federal prison for stealing U.S. savings bonds from a church.

The Democratic National Committee released a statement Wednesday congratulating McKinney on his primary victory.

“As a Detroit native who is serving his community in the Michigan Legislature, Donavan has spent his career fighting to expand opportunity for working families, lower costs, improve healthcare, and invest in local neighborhoods,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said. “Michigan Democrats have nominated a proven champion who will always put the people of his district first. The DNC is ready to work alongside him to lower costs and deliver for working families.”

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