Donavan McKinney won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, defeating incumbent Shri Thanedar who was seeking his third consecutive term. McKinney’s victory nearly ensures that Detroit, a majority-Black city, will have its first Black representative in Congress since 2022, as the heavily Democratic district makes his opponent, Republican Taras Nykoriak, unlikely to prevail in the general election.
McKinney framed his candidacy around restoring Black leadership to a district centered on Detroit. In campaign messaging, McKinney characterized Thanedar as having purchased political office and as being ideologically distant from the district’s constituents, arguing the incumbent failed to address the needs of Black residents during his tenure. Some voters echoed similar sentiment, with one primary voter stating that Thanedar “has no idea what Black people have been dealing with” and another emphasizing the importance of selecting a representative capable of effectively serving the community.
Thanedar, a businessman who built and sold a chemical-testing company for $20 million before entering politics, was first elected to the state Legislature in 2020 and won his initial congressional race in 2022 in a crowded Democratic primary that split the vote. His win in that election occurred after Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who had previously represented the district, shifted to the 12th District following redistricting. Thanedar’s four-year congressional tenure included introducing articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in April 2025. Following his primary defeat, Thanedar congratulated McKinney and offered cooperation during a transition.
McKinney’s primary victory breaks a pattern dating to 1955, when Charles Diggs Jr. became Detroit’s first Black congressional representative, followed by John Conyers in 1965. Before Thanedar took office in 2022, Detroit had maintained continuous Black representation in Congress for decades. McKinney, who received endorsements from progressive U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and several state lawmakers, positioned himself as a bridge-builder capable of addressing the needs of the district’s diverse communities.
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