Michigan — 13th District

DETROIT, MI - State Rep. Donavan McKinney held a lead over incumbent U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar early Wednesday, but the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District remained too early to call.

With an estimated 44.5% of the vote counted, McKinney led Thanedar 53.2% to 46.8%, according to unofficial results. The Associated Press had not called the race.

The closely watched Democratic primary became a head-to-head contest after former Detroit City Council member Mary Waters and John Goci were disqualified from the ballot. The winner will advance to face Republican T.P. Nykoriak in the Nov. 3 general election.

Thanedar entered Election Day with a significant fundraising advantage, reporting about $5 million cash on hand through March, according to federal campaign finance records.

McKinney, meanwhile, raised more than $1 million during the election cycle and reported roughly $459,000 cash on hand.

Oakland University political science professor David Dulio previously told MLive that the two-candidate field could benefit McKinney by allowing voters seeking an alternative to the incumbent to unite behind a single challenger.

“The more that challengers can consolidate and rally around one candidate, the better for them,” Dulio said. “It’s really about finding the anti-incumbent vote and capitalizing on it.”

The race has drawn attention because Thanedar became the first non-Black representative of the Detroit-based congressional district in roughly 70 years when he won a crowded Democratic primary in 2022.

Dulio previously said questions about representation in the majority-Black district have remained part of the political conversation throughout the campaign.

MLive will update this story as additional vote totals are released and once the Associated Press calls the race.