Michigan Democrats are once again plotting to oust Rep. Shri Thanedar.
The Indian-American Democrat has held a plurality Black district in the Detroit metro since 2023, much to the chagrin of the Congressional Black Caucus. Unable to oust Thanedar in 2024, some Black leaders are ready to try again in the midterms.
State Rep. Donavan McKinney, a 32-year-old community leader, is seriously considering a run against Thanedar, according to two people who were granted anonymity to discuss his internal deliberations.
McKinney, first elected to the state legislature in 2022, has long been involved in Michigan politics and has ties to the state’s powerful labor unions. He has served as a legislative director in the state House, worked for SEIU Healthcare Michigan and nabbed a spot on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Environmental Justice advisory council. He now represents a legislative district that straddles 8 Mile Road, the famed thoroughfare dividing Detroit and its northern suburbs.
A bid for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District would not be McKinney’s first run against Thanedar. McKinney lost a crowded state House primary to him in 2020, coming in second with 20 percent to Thanedar’s 35 percent. (Thanedar greatly outspent him.)
McKinney has been urged to run by labor leaders in the state and he has discussed a bid with members of the CBC, a group that desperately wants the district to have Black representation and has had a thorny relationship with Thanedar.
Thanedar, in a statement, said he was focused on fighting back against President Donald Trump but “that said, I won my last election with an outright majority beating my nearest opponent by 21%. I’m honored to have won Detroit 7 times in a row, in fact I have never lost an election in Detroit.”
Thanedar is not a soft opponent. He’s wealthy and has self-funded his bids after succeeding former Rep. Brenda Lawrence (who has received outreach from Michigan Democrats but is unlikely to run again). He won in 2022 after Black voters were split among several candidates — something that his opponents know could easily happen again.
“Black leaders in Detroit are going to coalesce around someone and then voters will decide who can best represent their values,” said one strategist close to the CBC who was granted anonymity to discuss party strategy. “What you can know for sure is the CBC is going to ensure the people of Detroit are well represented in Washington.”
At least two other prominent Black candidates declined to rule out running when asked by POLITICO.
Former state House Speaker Joe Tate recently declined to run for Detroit mayor and said in a text message: “I’m focused on serving my community and helping them prosper. Unfortunately, people are hurting because of irresponsible and harmful policies from the Trump administration. … I’m working daily in Lansing to protect my community and will continue exploring ways to best serve Detroit and the State of Michigan.”
And then there’s former state Sen. Adam Hollier, who lost narrowly in the 2022 primary to Thanedar but didn’t make the ballot when he ran again in 2024. He also hasn’t ruled out another try.
“I’m not ready to make any announcement,” he said in a phone interview, adding that he was grateful for the encouragement he’d gotten to run.
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