Detroiters on Tuesday overwhelmingly elected Democrats to represent them at the national and state levels. Here’s what you need to know:
District 13 U.S. Rep. Donavan McKinney (D)
With the election of lifelong Detroiter Donavan McKinney, Detroit residents now have Black representation in the U.S. House for the first time since 2023. According to the City of Detroit’s unofficial election results, McKinney beat out Republican candidate T.P. Nykoriak with 113,713 votes, or about 92% of the vote. He will assume the office — which is currently occupied by Shri Thanedar, who McKinney beat in the primary — on Jan. 3, 2027.
The 34-year-old University of Michigan alumnus has been serving in Michigan’s 11th House District since 2025. His term ends on Jan. 1, 2027.
McKinney is a democratic socialist candidate who ran on progressive priorities like affordable and guaranteed housing, criminal justice reform, reproductive freedom, getting “big money out of politics,” and more. As the District 13 Rep, McKinney will be serving the second-poorest congressional district in the country, according to US census data. That data estimates District 13’s poverty rate to be over 27%.
McKinney was raised in poverty on the northeast side of Detroit by his mother and grandmother. According to his campaign website, McKinney is husband to wife, Shaunté, and a father of two.
McKinney has already been receiving praise for his win by groups like progressive nonprofit Indivisible Guide and labor union UAW International Union on social media.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released a statement Tuesday congratulating McKinney, saying his leadership will be “key” to following through on priorities like “wealthy pay their fair share, expanding access to healthcare and housing, and making sure every Michigander has a fair shot, no matter their zip code.”
“As a labor organizer and state representative, Donavan has the values and experience we need to fight and deliver for Detroiters in the halls of Congress,” the statement reads.
BridgeDetroit could not reach McKinney for comment Wednesday afternoon.
District 12 U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D)
Detroiter Rashida Tlaib has secured her reelection and will return to Washington D.C. for her fifth term serving Michigan’s 12th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2027. Voters cast 77,084 ballots for the incumbent, giving her a landslide victory over Republican candidate James D. Hooper with nearly 93% of the vote.
The Wayne State alumna and fellow democratic socialist has been serving as in the U.S House of Representatives since 2018.
Tlaib has consistently aligned herself with other progressive congresswomen, as well as championed progressive issues and legislation like the Unhoused Persons Bill of Rights and banning federal funding for surveillance tech. She currently serves on committees and caucuses for justice and accountability issues, like the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, as well as the Get the Lead Out Caucus.
Tlaib is an attorney and has previously served at the state level, becoming the first Muslim woman state legislator in 2008.
Who’s showing up for Detroiters in Lansing
Four new state senators will begin representing Detroiters in Lansing come Jan. 2027.
After winning his first campaign for office, attorney and organizer Justin Onwenu will represent District 1 after winning 93.42% of the vote, or 48,577 votes. Appointed by former Mayor Mike Duggan in 2024 as the City of Detroit’s first Director of Small Business Affairs, Onwenu now serves as director of small business affairs under Mayor Mary Sheffield. He released a statement across social media Wednesday celebrating his win, thanking his opposition and reaffirming his commitment to Detroit and Downriver.
“Across backgrounds, Michiganders are united in our desire for a state government laser-focused on lowering the cost of living, investing in our neighborhoods, protecting our rights from attacks by the Trump administration, and delivering the most ethical and effective state government in the country,” the multi-part statement read. “I will fight every day to make Michigan’s government work as hard and be as good as our people. We can do it and we’ll do it together.”
District 2 will be represented by Uncommitted movement co-founder Abbas Alawieh, who won 86.62% of the vote with 3,061 votes. According to reporting from WDET, Alawieh’s voting group “mobilized more than 100,000 Michigan voters in the 2024 Democratic primary.” He has been a staff member in multiple political offices.
Alawieh’s campaign profile acknowledged his win in a short post on social media last Tuesday night, thanking Senate District 2.
“This win and this seat are yours,” part of the the post’s text portion read. “It will be my honor to serve you, your loved ones, and all our neighbors as your State Senator.”
Author and consultant John Conyers III — son of Detroit civil rights icon and longest-serving Black congressman, John Conyers Jr. — will be representing District 3. Voters cast 68,097 ballots, or 93.07% of the vote, for Conyers. Conyers’ campaign and personal/professional account shared a post announcing his win on Wednesday.
“The real work starts NOW,” part of the written portion of the post reads. “Let’s maintain this momentum and continue to come together to make our cities and state better.”
Incumbent Mary Cavanagh will continue representing District 6, having secured her second-term win with over 96% of the vote, or 73,771 votes. Cavanagh — who is the daughter of former state politician Phil Cavanagh and granddaughter of former Detroit mayor Jerome Cavanagh — assumed office in 2023. Before her state Senate tenure, Cavanagh was elected to represent Michigan’s 10th district in the state House of Representatives in 2020.
Detroiters have also voted to send 12 Democrats to the state House of Representatives.
Longtime politician and incumbent Tyrone Carter will be representing Michigan’s 1st District, having won with 91.26% of the vote, or 14,528 votes. He has been serving in the Michigan House of Representatives since assuming office in 2019. Carter is the husband of District 6 Detroit police commissioner Lisa Carter.
Carter acknowledged his win and thanked his supporters during a short Facebook live on Wednesday afternoon.
“Thank you all to the people in District 1 for supporting me and sending me back for a fifth term,” he said.
Incumbent Alabas Farhat kept his seat representing Michigan’s 3rd Dstrict with 88.95% of the vote, or 2,350 votes. Farhat assumed office in 2023, andwas reelected in 2024. Farhat was removed as Minority Vice Chair on the House Appropriations Committee by the Republican speaker. He also came under fire for supporting a Republican-backed anti-transgender bill last September.
Former educator Regina Ross will be representing Michigan’s 4th District, having won 95.79% of the vote, or 27,130 votes.
Michigan’s 5th District will be represented by Candace Calloway, who won with 96.77% of the vote, or 23,503 votes. A Detroit construction worker, AmeriCorp alumni and DPSCD academic interventionist, Calloway is also the daughter of District 2 City Councilmember Angela Whitfield-Calloway.
Incumbent Tonya Myers Phillips secured a second term in the 7th District seat with 95.51% of the vote, or 15,842 votes.
Environmental justice advocate and Democratic socialist candidate Chris Gilmer-Hill won the 8th District seat 94.53% of the vote, or 22,792 votes.
Former Detroit police commissioner Willie Burton won the 9th District with 91.77% of the vote, or 28,785 votes.
Incumbent Veronica Paiz will continue representing the 10th District, having won with 91.81% of the vote, or 10,568 votes. Paiz was previously elected as the 11th district representative in 2022 and served on the Harper Woods City council before that since 2015.
Detroiter Kimberly Fisher will be representing the 11th District after winning 95.72% of the vote, or 15,173 votes. As of Wednesday evening, a pop-up on her website has acknowledged her win, thanking District 11 and saying the victory “belongs to every neighbor who believed.”
Incumbent Kimberly L. Edwards secured another term serving in the 12th District with 96.16% of the vote, or 6,609 votes. Edwards has been in office since 2023.
District 16 incumbent Stephanie A. Young will return to Lansing, having secured her seat with 95.76% of the vote, or 14,806 votes. Young previously served as a representative for the 8th District from 2021 to 2023, before assuming the 16th District office.
A post on her professional Facebook page acknowledged her win and thanked voters and election officials Wednesday afternoon.
“You’ve given us our marching orders and we’re ready to rise to the challenge as unified leaders to make Michigan brighter for you and your family,” part of the written portion of the post read.
17th District incumbent Laurie Pohutsky secured her fifth term in the state House of Representatives with 94.19% of the vote, or 10,983 votes. Pohutsky was appointed speaker pro tempore of the Michigan House and served in that position from 2023 to 2025. She was elected as the 19th District representative in 2018 and stayed in that seat before being elected to serve the 17th District in 2022.
Pohustky’s personal/professional Facebook page acknowledged her win and thanked voters on Wednesday.
“From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank the people of District 17 for once again giving me the opportunity to be their voice in Lansing,” the written portion of the post read. “It’s an honor to serve you and I’m so grateful for your support.”
