The race for the 13th Congressional District will test the direction Detroiters want for the Democratic Party as a progressive state representative endorsed by Bernie Sanders challenges Rep. Shri Thanedar’s bid for re-election.
State Rep. Donavan McKinney, a 34-year-old Black Detroit native who is serving his second term in the state House, is Thanedar’s main opponent in the Aug. 4 primary after two other Democrats, Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters and Realtor and restaurant owner John Goci, were disqualified from the ballot.
McKinney told BridgeDetroit that he is running an affordability-centric campaign to represent the sixth-poorest district in the country.
“I got folks in my community working two, three jobs, and not even making ends meet,” McKinney said. “So for me, this is about improving the economics for people.”
Thanedar secured the support of Democratic leadership in his 2024 bid for re-election, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said he will stand by all Democratic House incumbents.
“I am running for re-election because the people of Michigan’s 13th District deserve a representative who is accessible, effective, and focused on delivering real results,” Thanedar told BridgeDetroit in an email.
Mario Morrow Sr., a political consultant, said McKinney has a better chance of beating Thanedar than when Waters was still on the ballot because he anticipates it would have fractured the vote, but he said it will still be an “upward climb” to unseat the two-term congressman with deep pockets.
“Those who have opposed him just haven’t been able to raise the funding or build the momentum of a serious campaign,” Morrow, who is not affiliated with any candidates in the race, said. “The closest that we probably have come to would probably be this election with Donavan McKinney.”
BridgeDetroit interviewed all candidates appearing on the primary ballot and reviewed campaign finance reports and legal and criminal court records pertaining to each candidate.
Thanedar seeks third term
Thanedar, 71, wrote to BridgeDetroit that his top priorities are lowered costs, reproductive rights, voting rights and standing up to President Donald Trump, clean water and stronger infrastructure, and to “continue strong constituent services.”
BridgeDetroit contacted all candidates for interviews. Thanedar initially agreed to an interview before canceling, citing scheduling conflicts. He later responded to questions via email.
“I know what it means to struggle,” Thanedar wrote. “I grew up in poverty, came to this country with very little, worked hard, built businesses, created jobs, and then chose public service because I believe every family deserves a fair shot.”
Thanedar was first elected in 2022, defeating eight Democrats in a hotly contested primary. His victory left Detroit without Black representation for the first time in nearly 70 years. A band of party leaders tried to rally behind one Black candidate, Adam Hollier, but a sea of indistinguishable candidates on the ballot ultimately split the vote.
An Ann Arbor-area businessman with an estimated net worth of $40 million, Thanedar has poured millions of his own money into his political campaigns over the years. His campaign currently has $5 million in cash on hand – more than any other candidate in the race.
Campaign finance records show that of the $154,673.60 he has raised from individual donors, 60% is from large donations of $2,000 or higher.
“I mainly self-fund and appreciate anyone that supports me, but I don’t keep track of those statistics,” he said.
Thanedar, who has previously said he would reject corporate PAC money, has received a small amount of such contributions. The Detroit News first reported in November 2025 that those donors include PACs associated with DTE Energy, Honeywell International, and General Dynamics.
He has also received some money from pro-Israel donors for his re-election campaigns after the American Israel Public Affairs Committee initially opposed his 2022 campaign. Since 2023, AIPAC PAC has raised about $155,000 for his re-election campaigns. Thanedar said his position on Israel is “rooted in peace, security, human rights for all, and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
He told BridgeDetroit that he supports “getting money out of politics and public financing of campaigns.” In September 2025, he joined 85 Democrats in co-sponsoring a bill to overturn Citizens United, a landmark Supreme Court ruling that has allowed corporations and other outside groups to spend an unlimited amount on elections.
In addition to his vast campaign fund, Thanedar also has a unique financial edge as the incumbent. Members of Congress are allotted money for their office, which can be used for advertising. Last year, Thanedar faced some backlash after The Detroit News reported that he spent $930,000 of taxpayer dollars on ads to promote himself – far outpacing his 434 colleagues in the US House. When asked about his ad spending, Thanedar said that “lack of communication has been a weakness for Democrats,” adding that he’s “proud to be able to talk to constituents about how I’m fighting for them.”
Thanedar previously faced scrutiny for business dealings during his 2018 gubernatorial bid. In 2017, Thanedar, who founded Avomeen Analytical Services, was sued by Avomeen Holdings for inflating the company’s value before the sale. The business fraud lawsuit ended in a settlement. Thanedar declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying it has already been covered extensively during his 2018 campaign for governor.
Thanedar also faced scrutiny over reports that in 2010, a New Jersey pharmaceutical firm he owned that went bankrupt allegedly abandoned research animals in the facility. Thanedar has blamed the creditor in the bankruptcy for any mistreatment of the animals and said the accusations were “baseless,” while pointing to his congressional record of supporting animal rights.
In Congress, Thanedar has been criticized for introducing bills that won’t gain the support to pass in an apparent attempt to build political clout. Last April, he introduced a bill to impeach Trump. Politico and Axios reported that the bill angered some of his colleagues, who argued that it took attention away from the party’s focus on Republican efforts to cut federal funding for public services. Thanedar introduced the bill the same day that McKinney announced his primary challenge.
When asked how he differentiates himself from his opponents, Thanedar said: “Our focus as Democrats should be on fighting Donald Trump, not each other, and I am a fierce fighter against Donald Trump.”
McKinney faces uphill climb to unseat Thanedar
McKinney currently represents the 11th state district in Lansing, which is one of the poorest in Michigan. His top priorities if elected to the US House are universal child care, Medicare for All, and getting corporate money out of politics.
“I think everybody has a right to healthcare in this country,” McKinney said. “We live in the wealthiest country in the world, and we’re sending money overseas to do God knows what, but we don’t have enough to make sure that people have the care they need here. I think it’s absurd.”
In 2024 and 2025, McKinney co-sponsored bills in the state House to ban Michigan utilities and major government contractors from making political donations, but they failed. At the federal level, McKinney said he would support overturning Citizens United, a stance he shares with his opponent.
When asked how McKinney differentiates himself from the sitting congressman on this issue, he criticized Thanedar for accepting money from corporate PACs, saying: “You have to follow what you preach.”
McKinney told BridgeDetroit that he will reject corporate PAC money for the rest of his political career.
McKinney has raised $1 million, and he’s spent more money than any of his opponents so far. About half of the contributions to his campaign are $200 or under. But Thanedar will likely be able to outspend him.
When asked about his opponent’s financial edge, McKinney said: “We don’t have to outraise him or outspend him. We’re not going to be able to, but what we can do is out-organize him, and out-hustle him in the community, and out-love him.”
One of the most contentious issues in the 13th District has been the planned ICE detention center in Romulus. Thanedar and McKinney have both opposed the facility, and support abolishing ICE.
McKinney has sought to differentiate himself on immigration by rebuking Thanedar for supporting a Republican-led bill last summer that thanked ICE. The legislation came after an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, last summer. While Congress passed a separate bipartisan bill to condemn the hate crime, Republicans introduced another bill condemning the attack that also included a line to express “gratitude to law enforcement officers, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.” J Street, a pro-Israel lobby group, lambasted the Republican bill as “political theater,” saying it “overwhelmingly focuses not on antisemitism but on opposition to immigration.”
Thanedar called McKinney’s criticism of his vote a “false and disingenuous attack,” saying he supported both resolutions condemning the Boulder hate crime, and he pointed to a bill he introduced in January to abolish ICE. McKinney, for his part, asserts that Thanedar is “trying to do what’s most popular.”
“I want people to see who we are and you’ll see a difference in how we govern,” McKinney said.
One key difference between the two candidates is foreign policy. McKinney said that he would oppose all foreign military aid except in situations where the US was under attack, including to Israel, Ukraine, or otherwise. He said he would support foreign humanitarian aid.
“We’re underfunding a lot of issues here at home, and so until we fix that, I can’t support military aid,” he said.
McKinney declined to comment on the campaigns of Waters and Goci, saying: “I got love for everybody, that’s all I gotta say.”
Mary Waters will not be on the ballot
Waters’ bid for Congress suffered a major setback after election officials disqualified her from the ballot.
Waters told BridgeDetroit that the state found that some of her signatures were not valid and said she is 24 signatures short of the requirement of 1,000. Waters, 70, filed a lawsuit on June 4 in Wayne County Circuit Court to challenge the disqualification, but it failed. Waters said she will continue her campaign as a write-in candidate.
Marjorie Sarbaugh-Thompson, a political science professor at Wayne State University, noted that write-in candidates usually don’t have the funds or political clout to make much of an impact.
Waters, who clinched the endorsement of former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan when she ran in 2024, said that her top priorities as the 13th District’s representative would be to address aging infrastructure, boost investment in literacy, and increase affordable housing.
“We know that our issues are many, but I wanted to at least address those issues that I’ve intimately been involved with, and I know that it needs some attention at the federal level,” the two-term councilwoman said.
Waters previously challenged Thanedar in 2024 and received about 34% of the vote compared to his 55%. One other Democrat, Shakira Lynn Hawkins, also ran that year and received 11% of the vote.
Waters has launched bids for Congress four times. Before she was elected to the Detroit City Council in 2021, Waters served in the state House from 2001 to 2006.
Waters has faced scrutiny in previous campaigns for a legal challenge. In 2010, she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing a fraudulent tax return after accepting a Rolex watch from a businessman in exchange for political favors. She later attempted to withdraw her guilty plea but was unsuccessful.
“It is time to move on,” Waters said of the conviction. “The people know me. The people love me, and I love them.”
In this race, the latest available campaign finance records show that Waters had not yet raised any money as of the end of March, and she had spent $1,127. Waters said she is actively fundraising after previously holding off until she had more information about her ballot disqualification. The next deadline to disclose campaign finance records is July 15.
Waters also said that if elected, she would not hold on to the seat indefinitely and train someone to succeed her.
“You want somebody who feels the same way as you do and understands what it means to deliver on behalf of those who put you there,” she said.
While Black representation has been a focal point in the 13th District, Waters said she is “not focused” on the fact that she’s African American.
“You’re not going to hear me out there in the community saying, ‘We have to do this because it needs to be an African American here,’” she said. “It is about that person who cares enough about the community that they represent.”
Fourth Democrat charges ahead as write-in
Goci is running as a write-in candidate after he was disqualified from the ballot.
Goci, 56, told BridgeDetroit that he hired a company to help him get signatures but later found out that he had been “defrauded.” When the state reviewed his signatures after Thanedar challenged them, Goci said he learned that the circulator for the company did not appear to be a resident of Michigan, their social media was down, and they weren’t answering calls.
“My motivation to stay in the race is because I believe in the message,” Goci said. “I believe in what I want to accomplish for this country, and I believe in this country, and it needs me more than it doesn’t, and history is made by those that fight for it.”
Goci previously ran for the 13th District seat in 2012 and received 3.8% of the vote in the primary. He said his policy priorities, if elected, would be supporting small businesses, expanding Medicare, and providing federal funding for primary homes.
BridgeDetroit’s review of court records show that in 2014, Goci was sentenced to one year of probation for making false statements to federal agents after he was accused of helping a local business owner conceal a loan sharking operation. Goci said he “accepted responsibility for that mistake and paid the price,” adding that, “I wish I would have handled the situation differently.”
“I’m not asking voters to ignore my mistakes. I’m asking them to look at the whole picture,” he said. “Since then, I’ve spent years building businesses, creating jobs, raising a family, serving my community, and helping others. I believe people should be judged not only by the mistakes they’ve made, but by how they’ve responded to them and what they’ve done afterward.”
One Republican candidate on the ballot
T.P. Nykoriak, a 38-year-old Detroit resident, will be the lone Republican candidate on the ballot after he successfully challenged the signatures of his two opponents. Any Republican will face an uphill battle in the heavily Democratic district, where Thanedar won re-election in 2024 by more than 44% over his challenger.
“I’m running for this office because I’m not happy with the current candidate who is running,” Nykoriak said of Thanedar. “He doesn’t listen to the people; he listens to his donors. I’d like to listen to the people, not the donors.”
The latest available campaign finance records show he has not raised money, but Nykoriak said he has secured commitments from supporters to contribute to his campaign.
If elected, Nykoriak said his top priorities would be to end “wasteful government spending,” including in foreign wars, support veterans, and reform healthcare to eliminate private insurance.
Nykoriak has campaigned several times for different positions, including Wayne County Commissioner, Detroit police commissioner, Michigan State senator, and Wayne County sheriff.
BridgeDetroit reviewed court records of all the candidates. Filings show that in 2016, Nykoriak was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for cashing US savings bonds that were issued to a church. He declined to comment on the conviction.
Two other Republicans, Raphiel King and Martell Bivings, told BridgeDetroit they are continuing their campaigns as write-in candidates.
King said his priorities if elected are cracking down on immigration, securing more grant funding for people of color in Detroit, and instituting anti-trans policies, specifically having “boys and girls in separate locker rooms.”
In 2022, King was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to purchasing a pistol without a permit. He was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon, but that charge was dismissed in a plea reduction. King refuted the charges when asked about the case, saying he had a “legally purchased firearm” in his glove box and the clips were in his trunk, but the police still charged him. “Definitely a driving while Black [case],” he said.
Bivings said he is running for Congress to bring more funding to the district and to change policies to make it easier for first-time homebuyers. He also noted that he supports ending the war in Iran.
Independent candidate Maurice Morton is also running for US House. His candidacy will not impact the Aug. 4 primary but could pose a challenge for the Democratic nominee in November. Morton has raised $65,000 so far, according to campaign finance records, and he’s put up $45,000 of his own money. Morton’s past positions include assistant prosecutor at the Wayne County prosecutor’s office, CEO of the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences, and associate general counsel and director of community affairs at the Detroit Medical Center.
Political climate could dial up voter turnout
Both Sarbaugh-Thompson and Morrow anticipate that voter turnout will be higher this year.
Morrow points to the hefty slate of closely watched races in Michigan. Several executive offices and a hotly contested US Senate race are on the ballot. The collective excitement could encourage more voters to turn up to the polls, which could impact the whole ballot.
Sarbaugh-Thompson, meanwhile, pointed to the current divisive political climate and opposition to Trump’s foreign policy, especially among younger Democratic voters. She noted that the 13th District’s population trends younger than the rest of the state, although older Americans typically are the most reliable voters.
She noted that the November general election will be more of a “coronation than a contest” for the Democratic nominee, given the heavily Democratic makeup of the district, which extends from Grosse Pointe to Romulus. But she expects that the primary in August will be a “very competitive election.”