Democratic Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney defeated Democratic Michigan Rep. Shri Thanedar, securing another win for the Democrats’ anti-establishment wing.
McKinney is among several anti-establishment candidates who defeated incumbents backed by the party’s establishment in the 2026 election cycle. He defeated Thanedar in a 51.1% to 48.1% vote, results from The New York Times showed.
The further-left candidate received endorsements from independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
McKinney would represent Michigan’s 13th district, a deep-blue, heavily black-majority district that includes the city of Detroit and other parts of Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous county. The Congressional Black Caucus, including Omar and Nevada Rep. Steve Horsford, broke with the party’s establishment by endorsing McKinney over Thanedar.
“It’s not just about having Black representation, but that is a part of what appropriate representation looks for,” Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee told Politico. “You have a majority-Black district, and I think that there is certainly an appetite to see that again, or to at least make sure that a Black candidate has the opportunity to present themselves.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization and Democratic Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson endorsed Thanedar.
Thanedar’s victory in November 2022 marked the first time since 1955 that a black lawmaker did not represent Michigan’s 13th district, according to Politico. He won after former Democratic Michigan state Rep. Adam Hollier, his most critical primary challenger, was disqualified from the ballot.
McKinney accused Thanedar of saying and doing “anything to have power and enrich himself.”
“Shri Thanedar will say and do anything to have power or enrich himself,” McKinney wrote on his website. “Before his run for Michigan Governor, he said he didn’t know whether he was going to run as a Republican or a Democrat. When asked about his abortion stance, he said he was comfortable with whatever position he needed to adopt to get the best chance to win.”
The progressive candidate accused Thanedar of supporting parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda and of taking thousands of dollars in campaign cash from ICE contractors, citing Federal Elections Commission (FEC) records. Thanedar called to abolish ICE, impeach Trump and fight for Medicare for All on his campaign website.
Thanedar filed seven articles of impeachment against Trump on April 29, 2025, shortly after McKinney announced his candidacy.
McKinney campaigned on ending military aid for Israel and providing aid to Gaza, reforming the “broken criminal justice system” by ending cash bail and changing sentencing guidelines and supporting Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.
Further-left Democrats and DSA candidates defeated longtime incumbents and establishment-backed candidates in the New York and Colorado races. DSA candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated five-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th district in June, while socialist Melat Kiros beat incumbent Democratic Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, who served 29 years in Congress.
(DCNF)
