Shri Thanedar Loses Democratic Primary to Progressive Challenger Donavan McKinney
New York — Indian American Rep. Shri Thanedar has lost the Democratic nomination for reelection in Michigan, falling to progressive challenger Donavan McKinney in a closely contested primary.
McKinney, a Democratic Socialist, defeated Thanedar by 3.8 percentage points in Tuesday’s primary, according to results announced Wednesday.
Thanedar was first elected to the House in 2022 and won a second term in 2024. His Detroit-area district, which has a majority-Black population, is considered safely Democratic in the November midterm elections.
McKinney’s victory came amid broader gains for progressive candidates in Michigan, where U.S. policy toward Israel and the war in Gaza emerged as major campaign issues.
In the statewide Democratic Senate primary, Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens by less than 1 percentage point. El-Sayed is seeking to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters and would become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate if he wins in November.
Opponents criticized the support Thanedar and Stevens received from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, turning the organization’s involvement into a campaign issue.
McKinney received backing from prominent progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and El-Sayed. Several of his supporters made Palestinian rights and opposition to U.S. support for Israel central themes of their campaigns.
Thanedar previously belonged to the Democratic Socialists of America but left the organization in 2023 following the Hamas attack on Israel. Despite their differences over Israel, Thanedar and McKinney shared several policy positions, including opposition to the Iran war and support for expanding government-funded health insurance.
Thanedar also emerged as one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal congressional critics and attempted to introduce articles of impeachment against him.
His defeat means two of the six Indian American members of the House may not return to Congress next year. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi also unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Senate nomination.
The number of Indian Americans in the House could still receive a boost from Amish Shah, who won a Democratic primary in Arizona last month and is seeking to unseat a Republican incumbent.
Thanedar, whose full name is Shrinivas Prasad Thanedar, was born in Chikodi, Karnataka, and moved to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Akron.
He later built a multimillion-dollar business career after borrowing money to purchase and revive a struggling company. He used part of his personal fortune to finance his political campaigns. (Source: IANS)
