▶ Watch Video: Donavan McKinney defeats Shri Thanedar
State Rep. Donavan McKinney has defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, CBS News projects.
The two Democrats both hold strong progressive policy viewpoints but differ in their backgrounds and values ahead of the Democratic primary.
Thanedar, who is finishing up his second term in Congress, was largely self-funding his campaign. He was elected to Congress in 2022 after winning the nine-way primary with 28.3% of the vote. McKinney, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, ran on a platform centered on relatability and everyday people.
The candidates
Thanedar was first elected to Congress in 2022 and was reelected in 2024 after winning the Democratic primary against Mary Walters with 54.9% of the vote.
Thanedar represented Detroit in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. He was born to a poor family in India and immigrated to the U.S. to pursue his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1979. Starting from nothing, he eventually worked his way up to serve as the CEO of numerous multi-million-dollar pharmaceutical development companies.
Thanedar is a vocal critic of President Trump, having introduced articles of impeachment against him in April 2025.
Thanedar’s endorsements include those from his congressional colleagues, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Rep. Judy Chu and U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.
Throughout his political career, Thanedar has faced criticism for accepting corporate PAC money and spending taxpayer money on advertising. He renounced his Democratic Socialists of America membership in October 2023, citing their failure to condemn Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel.
McKinney is a lifelong Detroiter who’s running on a platform centered on relatability and focusing on everyday people. A product of Detroit Public Schools, McKinney graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014 before pursuing a career in organizing and public service.
McKinney has received high-profile endorsements from congressional progressives, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and former U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence.
Key issues
The key issues highlighted in Thanedar’s campaign include affordability, housing, universal healthcare and abolishing ICE. He has co-sponsored progressive legislation, including the Medicare for All Act, Raise the Wage Act and American Teacher Act, as well as pro-small business legislation such as the Investing in Main Street Act of 2023.
This is Thanedar’s toughest primary yet, as opponents and colleagues criticize his lack of Detroit roots and his identity as a wealthy businessman who has spent millions on his campaign while representing Michigan’s poorest district.
McKinney’s campaign touches on restoring Black representation in Detroit and putting workers over corporations. His platform has goals of reducing income inequality through taxing the ultra-wealthy, transitioning to clean energy and investing in public schools. Like Thanedar, McKinney also supports Medicare for All.
Other issues McKinney is prioritizing include reducing corporate influence in politics, codifying abortion rights at the federal level and ending military aid to Israel.