Indian-American Representative Shri Thanedar lost the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District on Tuesday. State Representative Donavan McKinney defeated the two-term incumbent by a narrow margin in a race supported by the party’s progressive wing. McKinney received 51.9 percent of the vote compared to Thanedar’s 48.1 percent, a difference of 3.79 percentage points. The Associated Press declared the outcome at 9:55 a.m. EDT. McKinney, 34, will now serve as the Democratic nominee for the November general election in the strongly Democratic district, where he is expected to prevail. He gained backing from several progressive figures and groups, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Rashida Tlaib, Justice Democrats and Leaders We Deserve. The result represents another win for the progressive faction within the Democratic Party, which has challenged establishment incumbents in primaries. McKinney ran on a platform favoring Medicare for All, greater spending on clean energy and housing, and stricter limits on US military assistance to Israel. Both candidates backed universal healthcare and the elimination of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. McKinney strongly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, whereas Thanedar supported continued military aid. After the loss, Thanedar noted the influence of socialist movements that have succeeded elsewhere and said he would back McKinney in the general election. He had previously moved away from the Democratic Socialists of America. His campaign also drew criticism for filing impeachment articles against President Donald Trump without party approval and for financial matters involving cryptocurrency losses and taxpayer-funded ads resembling campaign material. Despite these issues, he secured endorsements from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other senior Democrats. Thanedar’s defeat is projected to lower Indian-American membership in the House from six to four, assuming other incumbents win reelection. Another Indian-American, Amish Shah, is the Democratic nominee in Arizona’s First District, while Pia Dandiya is running in a Florida primary. Thanedar, who arrived in the United States from India in 1979, described his congressional service as a great honor and said he plans to remain active in public affairs.
