NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Detroit, MI, August 4, 2026 — Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar has conceded defeat in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, bringing an end to his bid for a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In a statement released after the election, Thanedar congratulated Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney on his victory.
“I want to congratulate Representative Donavan McKinney on a hard fought race. It was a tough election cycle and, in the end, the voters of the 13th District chose him to represent them moving forward,” Thanedar said.
Reflecting on his time in Congress, Thanedar called serving the district “the honor of my life.”
“I’m proud of all the work we did, from solving over 4,300 constituent cases, to securing $45 million in funding for projects in every single part of the district, to leading the fight against Trump and his administration,” he said. “I look forward to serving out the remainder of my term and wish Representative McKinney the best.”
Thanedar, an entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States from India, was first elected to Congress in 2022 after representing part of Detroit in the Michigan House of Representatives. He became one of a small number of Indian Americans serving in the U.S. House.
His term will continue until the new Congress is sworn in in January 2027.
McKinney, a Democratic state representative from Detroit, is expected to face a Republican challenger in the November general election. Michigan’s 13th Congressional District has historically favored Democratic candidates, making the Democratic primary the pivotal contest.
Earlier this year, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois ended his congressional career after an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. Krishnamoorthi had stepped down from the House to pursue the Senate seat. With these two losses, the number of Indian Americans serving in the U.S. House is set to decrease when the next Congress convenes in January 2027, unless new Indian American candidates are elected in November.
