Shri Thanedar faces Martell Bivings in Michigan 13th Congressional District election

• U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar survived a crowded Democratic primary as he seeks reelection in the 13th Congressional District
• He’ll face Republican Martell Bivings in the general election
• The 13th District, which is reliably Democratic, includes part of Detroit and other Wayne County communities

LANSING — U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar survived a tough Democratic primary and now enters the 13th Congressional District general election as a heavy favorite against Republican challenger Martell Bivings. 

The 13th Congressional District, which is reliably Democratic, includes part of Detroit and other Wayne County communities. It stretches from the Grosse Pointes downriver to Ecorse, Southgate and Romulus. 

Local voters backed Joe Biden over then-President Donald Trump by 50 percentage points in 2020. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton beat Trump by 51 points in 2016. 

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Thanedar won office two years ago after emerging from a crowded Democratic primary field and beating out Republican Martell Bivings — who is running again  — by roughly 47 percentage points in the general election.  

His victory left Detroit without Black representation for the first time since 1955.

He won again in the August primary, defeating Detroit Detroit City Council member Mary Waters and Sharika Hawkins with just under 55% of the vote to advance to the Nov. 5 general election. 

Here is a closer look at each of the candidates:

Democrat - Shri Thanedar: Prior to serving in Congress, Thanedar grew up in southern India and came to the U.S. in 1979 to earn a doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of Akron. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1988, he worked as a researcher and eventual entrepreneur, helping to develop pharmaceutical drugs in the process. Thanedar ran for governor in 2018 but lost the Democratic nomination to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He won election to the Michigan House in 2020 and to Congress in 2022. The Detroit Democrat is a member of the U.S. House’s Committee on Homeland Security and is the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. Thanedar last year renounced his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America, citing his support for Israel in an ongoing war with Hamas. A former aide later accused Thanedar of leaning on congressional staff for campaign work, which the congressman's chief of staff denied. 

Republican - Martell Bivings: Bivings, a former business liaison with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, ran against Thanedar in 2022 and lost by nearly 50 percentage points in the general election. While he had not set up a new campaign website as of April, Bivings previously ran on issues like expanding federal programs like social security, Medicaid and living assistance for senior citizens, strengthening protections for the Great Lakes and building accountability into federal welfare programs.

Libertarian - Chris Clark: Clark, who lists a Taylor address in campaign filings, was nominated at convention by the Libertarian Party of Michigan. In a candidate survey for Ballotpedia, Clark said he believes in "keeping the government out of your personal endeavors." He said he wants to "hold our government accountable to use our finances responsibly."

US Taxpayers - Chris Dardzinski: Dardzinski, who lists a Lincoln Park address in campaign filings, was nominated at convention by the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan. He advocates for policies that "remove government control over your individual freedom and economic opportunities," including a flat-rate tax system and government downsizing. 

Working Class - Simone Coleman: Coleman, who lists a Detroit address in campaign filings, was nominated at convention by the Working Class Party of Michigan. Among other things, the party argues that financial profits by big companies was "stolen" from workers and should be returned. Coleman previously ran and lost for a state House seat in 2020, pulling in less than 5% of the vote. 

Green - D. Etta Wilcoxon: Wilcoxon, who lists a Detroit address in campaign filings, is an attorney who was nominated at convention by the Green Party of Michigan. The party describes itself as a "non-corporate left" party that seeks to amplify "the voices of working-class Michiganders." Wilcoxon has run and lost for several elected positions before, including a 2020 congressional run and a 2021 mayoral run in Detroit.