New York, August 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar has lost the Democratic Party primary for his re-election bid from Michigan, with progressive candidates gaining momentum in the state amid debates over issues including the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Thanedar, who was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2022 and retained the seat in 2024, was defeated by Democratic Socialist Donavan McKinney by a margin of 3.8 percentage points, according to results declared on Wednesday.
The constituency, covering parts of Detroit and its suburbs and having a large African American population, is considered a strong Democratic seat ahead of the November midterm elections.
McKinney’s victory was part of a broader trend in Michigan, where progressive candidates secured major wins in Democratic primaries. Abdul El-Sayed won the party’s statewide Senate primary and is set to become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate if he wins the general election. He defeated moderate House member Haley Stevens by a margin of less than one percentage point in the race to succeed retiring Senator Gary Peters.
The role of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) became a campaign issue in several contests, with opponents targeting candidates who had received support from the organisation, including Thanedar and Stevens.
With Thanedar and Raja Krishnamoorthi failing to secure Senate nominations, the number of Indian Americans in the US House could fall next year. However, Democrat Amish Shah, who won his primary earlier, remains in contention in an Arizona constituency currently held by a Republican.
Thanedar’s earlier electoral victories were notable as he represented a district with nearly 75 per cent African American voters. His previous primary wins were aided by multiple African American candidates dividing the opposition vote. This time, McKinney emerged as his sole challenger.
McKinney received support from progressive figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Rashida Tlaib and Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Several progressive campaigns placed the Palestine issue at the centre of their messaging.
Thanedar had previously been associated with the Democratic Socialists but left the organisation in 2023 following the Hamas attack on Israel. He and McKinney, however, shared positions on some issues, including opposition to a potential Iran war and support for expanding government-backed health insurance.
A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Thanedar had also sought to introduce measures aimed at impeaching him.
Born as Shrinivas Prasad Thanedar in Chikodi, Karnataka, Thanedar moved to the United States to pursue a PhD at the University of Akron. He later built a successful business career after acquiring a struggling pharmaceutical company with a small loan and expanding it into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, which helped finance his political campaigns.
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