It's been a while since we've mentioned Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI-10) on the pages of RedState, with the last time being in May when former DNI Tulsi Gabbard revealed she would be stepping down in order to care for her cancer-stricken husband, to which Thanedar coldly responded, "Good riddance."
Since then, Thanedar – who our own Sister Toldjah once called “one of the more obnoxious Democrats in the House of Representatives" – has been locked in a fierce Democrat primary battle against State Rep. Donavan McKinney, an avowed socialist and member of the Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
The DSA is all the rage in some parts of Michigan right now, apparently.
McKinney edged out the two-term Thanedar in Tuesday's primary in Michigan's 10th congressional district by a margin of 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent. This is not only a blow to Thanedar – who has made a name for himself within his party by relentlessly calling for the impeachments of various Trump administration officials – but also to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), who was one of very few Democrats to endorse Thanedar.
BREAKING: AP projects that Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) has lost his primary race to DSA-endorsed socialist Donavan McKinney.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 5, 2026
Thanedar had been endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. pic.twitter.com/h3kWezvwdl
Democrat Rep. Shri Thanedar ousted by DSA-backed Donavan McKinney in latest win for far-left https://t.co/7OWMuiDoaE pic.twitter.com/iikKQIQtk1
— New York Post (@nypost) August 5, 2026
Here's a bit more about what happened on primary night:
Why it matters: The lifelong Detroiter's win likely returns Detroit to Black representation in Congress, which ended with Thanedar's 2022 victory.
- It also brings another victory for a progressive-backed candidate.
- McKinney won by a slim 51.9% to 48.1%, with the race called late Wednesday morning by AP.
Conventional wisdom has it that Jeffries endorsed Thanedar because Thanedar is an incumbent and has been a reliable rubber stamp for the Democrats – plus, there's that whole impeach everybody mentality of Thanedar's. But perhaps Jeffries was also looking down the road and wondering just how many card-carrying socialists he may soon be expected to corral inside his caucus.
It would be bad enough for Jeffries to look powerless against the DSA wing while serving as minority leader. Should Democrats retake the House and hand him the speaker’s gavel, however, every time he surrenders to the socialist wing will take place beneath a very bright spotlight, indeed.
And Jeffries has never exactly been the most effective or compelling leader that House Democrats have ever produced. Ice queen Nancy Pelosi may have hand-picked him as her successor, but Nancy Pelosi he most certainly is not.
Ultimately, Thanedar’s embarrassing primary defeat is more than the mere political demise of one particularly obnoxious Democrat – it's also a warning that the socialist wing is no longer content to heckle the party establishment from the sidelines and will soon increase in numbers. They are coming for their seats, and they're coming for Hakeem Jeffries.
If that happens, House Democrats will have no one but themselves to blame. They've spent years playing nice with the radicals by adopting their language and pretending the whole "socialist takeover" thing was simply just a Republican talking point.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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