State of the Race: Michigan’s competitive congressional primaries will draw November battle lines

Voter Guide: 2026 Michigan Primary Election

In just a few days, Michigan voters will make their way to the polls for the Aug. 4 primary election, bringing weeks of absentee and early voting to a close.

With a consequential general election on the horizon, Democrats and Republicans across the state are making their final pitches on why they should represent their party in November and how they would win over undecided voters. 

As primary election day draws near, here are the candidates and races to watch: 

7th Congressional District

One of the most politically competitive seats in Michigan, if not the nation, Michigan’s 7th Congressional District has been declared a major target for Democrats looking to grow their ranks in the U.S. House.

While Barrett, the incumbent, is unopposed in the primary, Democrats must choose between former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam and political organizer William Lawrence. 

Among the biggest questions heading into the general election is how the candidates will appeal to independent and undecided voters within the politically purple district.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has said the district is a “toss up,” meaning both Barrett and the Democratic nominee will have their work cut out for them in the months following the primary.

Michigan 7 encompasses all of Clinton, Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties, most of Eaton County and parts of Genesee and Oakland counties.

Bridget Brink

A 28-year foreign service veteran, Brink has pitched herself as the only candidate in the race who directly stood up to Trump, referencing her decision to resign as ambassador to Ukraine in 2025 over the administration’s decision to place pressure on Ukraine instead of Russia to end the war following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

While speaking with voters, Brink has pledged to take action on healthcare costs, calling for a rollback to federal Medicaid cuts, expanding Medicare to cover vision and dental and capping prices for drugs such as insulin and EpiPens. 

Lowering costs for constituents is also a key priority for Brink, as is defending American rights and Democracy from the Trump Administration.

As of July 15, Brink had raised $2.98 million with $841,459 cash on hand.

Matt Maasdam

A former Navy SEAL and military aide to President Barack Obama, Maasdam carries the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), who previously served as the district’s representative, defeating Barrett in 2022.

As far as his priorities if elected, Maasdam emphasizes affordability, banning stock trading in Congress, seeking to end the revolving door of politicians becoming lobbyists and cracking down on dark money, or political spending from undisclosed donors.

Maasdam has also pledged to hold the Trump Administration accountable for abuse of the Constitution, calling for an overhaul of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including an end to mass raids, warrant requirements for arrests and searches and the prosecution of agents who break the law.

According to his pre-primary report, Maasdam has raised $2.13 million with $464,028 in cash on hand.

William Lawrence

Born in East Lansing, Lawrence cofounded the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led political action group focused on advocating for climate justice. When he later returned to Lansing, Lawrence advocated for housing access and tenants’ rights, co-founding the Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center and leading the MI Rent is Too Damn High Coalition. 

Backed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and other prominent progressives in Congress, Lawrence has sought to set himself apart from his more moderate opponents, repeatedly noting that he is the only candidate in the race to support a 12-month federal moratorium on data centers. 

Lawrence has prioritized ending “endless wars,” opposing the war in Iran and U.S. arms sales to Israel, while arguing that the resources the U.S. spends on military operations abroad could be better spent on healthcare, housing and other areas to support American families.

As of July 15, Lawrence had raised $1.12 million and reported $383,115 cash on hand.

10th Congressional District

With John James running for governor, Michigan’s competitive 10th District is open. Cook Political Report rates it Republican-leaning. The district, which covers southern Macomb County and parts of eastern Oakland County, was a key target for Democrats in 2024.

Christina Hines

Hines previously served as an assistant prosecutor in Wayne and Washtenaw counties and made an unsuccessful run for Macomb County prosecutor in 2024. 

She has pledged to strengthen and expand the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid and has taken the Political Integrity Project’s pledge to support anti-corruption measures in Congress, receiving an endorsement from End Citizens United, a political action committee focused on campaign finance reform.

Former Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga, who unsuccessfully ran against James in 2022 and 2024, has also endorsed Hines as the Democratic nominee.

According to her campaign’s pre-primary report, Hines has raised $1.21 million with $158,196 in cash on hand.

Eric Chung

A former Commerce Department attorney who helped implement the CHIPS and Science Act, Chung said he’s running for Congress to “fight for Michigan against Donald Trump’s attacks on our rights, our healthcare, and our democracy.”

On his campaign website, Chung said he would work to roll back Trump’s tariffs. He has also promised to address rising health costs, by restoring Medicaid funding cut by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and restoring Enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits which expired at the end of 2025.

Like Hines, Chung has taken the Political Integrity Project’s pledge to support anti-corruption measures.

If he prevails in the primary, Chung could go on to be the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent Michigan in Congress.

As of July 15, Chung’s campaign had raised $1.9 million, with $621,397 cash on hand.

Tim Greimel

Former Pontiac mayor and state House Democratic leader Tim Greimel has built up a strong coalition of labor support, including endorsements from the Michigan Education Association, Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union, the Utility Workers Union of America and more.

Greimel says he’s focused on working families, pledging to stand up to the Trump Administration, protect Social Security and Medicare, and lower the cost of living.

As of July 15 Greimel’s campaign had raised $1.26 million, with $328,004 on hand.

Michael Bouchard Jr.

A U.S. Army Veteran who has pledged to push for the completion of the southern border wall and support parental rights in their child’s education, Michael Bouchard is Trump’s hand-picked candidate to succeed James. 

The son of Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, the younger Bouchard has also drawn support from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and members of Michigan’s Republican Congressional Delegation including Lisa McClain (R-Bruce Township), Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) and Tim Walberg (R-Tipton). 

As of July 15, Bouchard’s campaign had raised $1.41 million, with $958,230 cash on hand.

Steffan Demetropoulos

A U.S. Army Veteran and construction project manager, Demetropoulos has pitched himself as an everyday American looking to restore trust in Washington. 

On his campaign website, Demetropoulos lists fiscal responsibility, government transparency and protecting the future of children among his priorities.

“That means reducing wasteful spending, strengthening economic opportunity for working families, and ensuring parents have a voice in their children’s education,” Demetropoulos wrote.

As of July 15, Demetropoulos had raised $6,870 with $3,641 cash on hand.

Justin Kirk

An attorney who previously interned for U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell, Kirk has listed retaining Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives as a top priority for his campaign.

On his campaign website Kirk said he would work to make Michigan a hub for supply chain, warehousing logistics and distribution and promote responsible data center development. 

If elected, Kirk also said he would work to improve Michigan’s education system amid declining math and reading scores, promote trades and champion Michigan’s role in supporting national security.

According to his pre-primary filing, Kirk’s campaign raised $463,208 with $238,376 on hand.

Robert Lulgjuraj – Suspended

While his name still appears on the ballot, former prosecutor Robert Lugjuraj announced on July 14 that he was ending his campaign for U.S. House following Trump’s endorsement in the race.

11th Congressional District

With U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens’ decision to run for U.S. Senate, several Democrats have stepped up to the plate to succeed the four-term representative. 

As a safe Democratic seat, whoever emerges victorious in the primary will likely take home another win in November. However, Troy Mayor Ethan Baker, who is unopposed in the Republican primary, is set to challenge Democrats for control of the district

The 11th Congressional District encompasses municipalities in central Oakland County, including Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Pontiac and Troy. 

Aisha Farooqi

An Attorney and appointed member of the Michigan Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board and the child of immigrant parents, Farooqi’s campaign says she is focused on fighting for a New American Dream, available to every working family and community across the U.S.

Like many other Democratic candidates heading into the midterm, Farooqi is focused on addressing the rising cost of living, promising to fight for higher wages and fair compensation for workers while reducing regulatory burdens on companies providing essential goods. 

She also supports Medicare for All, a universal childcare system, abolishing ICE and creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

As of July 15, Farooqi had raised $421,142, while reporting an on-hand deficit of $352 dollars.

John Paul Torres

Torres serves as the vice president of the Waterford School District’s Board of Education and is a former member of the team of court administrators who implemented juvenile justice reforms for the Michigan Supreme Court.

“I’m a father, a husband, and a public servant. I’ll fight for the working people who built this country, not the billionaires driving up the cost of living,” Torres said on his campaign website. “Our campaign is 100% grassroots. I will never take corporate or utility PAC money.”

Torres supports Medicare for All, universal childcare, abolishing ICE and comprehensive immigration reform, noting that he’d worked on the DREAM Act as a Congressional Fellow.

According to Torres’ pre-primary report, his campaign has raised $147,385 with $3,841 cash on hand.

Jeremy Moss

A state lawmaker first elected to the state Legislature in 2015, Moss is the first openly gay member of the Michigan Senate and its only Jewish state senator. If he prevails in the primary, Moss could also be the state’s first openly LGBTQ+ representative.

Moss told Michigan Advance he’s been a demonstrated fighter for the district, pointing to his work in the Legislature supporting gun safety reforms passed after the 2023 Michigan State University shooting, an expansion to Michigan’s Civil Rights Law, and working to implement a constitutional amendment improving access to the ballot box. 

Moss supports a robust public health option as a pathway to universal health coverage, and has called for dismantling ICE, arguing the agency cannot be reformed under the Trump Administration.

Both Farooqi and former Ford Engineer Don Ufford have criticized Moss for his support for Israel.

Ufford’s campaign has accused Moss of taking money from donors and organizations with ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, also known as AIPAC. Moss said that’s not true, chalking up the overlap in contributions to his campaign from individuals who also gave to AIPAC as  support from Jewish residents.

“This is a district with the highest concentration of Jewish residents in our state and I’m obviously a proud Jewish Michigander,” Moss said. “It’s really shameful to mischaracterize all of my Jewish supporters as a part of a PAC conspiracy.”

As of July 15, Moss’ campaign has raised $1.49 million, with $352,516 in cash on hand.

Don Ufford

The former head of global engineering for Ford Motor Company, Ufford’s campaign has described him as a “political outsider with real-world experience” frequently drawing critical comparisons with Moss’s campaign. 

Ufford has been endorsed by End Citizens United and supports Medicare for All, an end to the war in Iran and abolishing ICE.

While Ufford has criticized Moss for previously accepting political contributions from organizations like DTE Energy, Consumers Energy and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan while campaigning for the Legislature, Moss has pointed to reporting from the Detroit News noting that Ufford had identified as a Republican in 2022 while participating in a bipartisan political leadership fellowship at Michigan State University.

“Don Ufford is a Democrat who proudly served in the Biden White House, where he worked to bring manufacturing jobs back to Michigan,” Ufford Campaign Manager Mark Goldenberg told Michigan Advance, later explaining Ufford served in the Made in America Office under the Office of Management and Budget, working on the EV transition and manufacturing development.

Ufford’s campaign had raised $1 million as of July 15, with $289,619 cash on hand.

13th Congressional District

While two U.S. representatives hold Detroit within their district, the majority Black city hasn’t had a Black representative in Congress since U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence’s term ended at the start of 2023. However, the primary elections in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District could change that. 

As a reliable blue seat, whoever prevails this coming Tuesday is all but certain to win in November. Only one candidate is listed on the Republican Ballot: T.P. Nykoriak, who in 2016 was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for stealing U.S. savings bonds from a church. 

Michigan’s 13th Congressional District is made up of portions of Detroit, and its suburbs, including Allen Park, Hamtramck, Romulus and Wyandotte.

Shri Thanedar

Running for his third term in Congress and facing yet another primary challenge, U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit) is once again defending his record of showing up for his constituents.

In the 2024 campaign cycle, then-Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other officials living within Thanedar’s district argued that he was not responsive to the district’s needs, criticisms that Thanedar’s primary opponent continues to echo in 2026. 

 In a text message to Michigan Advance, Thanedar noted that his office had delivered $45 million in federal work project funding for communities within his district, including support to help Detroit seniors age in place, home repairs for veterans and grant funding to establish a center to provide support services to survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.

“The federal government sends hundreds of billions of dollars to Michigan every year,” Thanedar said. “Things like ARPA funds and the Infrastructure bill are what allows Michigan to invest in local communities. But in addition to that, I’m proud to get funding approved for specific projects throughout the entire 13th District.”

Thanedar also cited his opposition to the previously-planned ICE facility in Romulus, noting that he’d held a town hall meeting outside the facility and participated in the collective effort that resulted in the plan being scrapped. 

If Democrats regain their majority in the U.S. House, Thanedar, who serves as the ranking member of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security’s Oversight, Investigations and Accountability Subcommittee, said he’d like to chair that subcommittee.

“As chair of Oversight in the Homeland Security Committee, I will make sure we subpoena and prosecute ICE and this administration for all their crimes,” Thanedar said.

As of July 15, Thanedar had raised $390,276 over the course of this campaign cycle, with $5 million cash on hand.

Donavan McKinney

Taking office in the Michigan House in 2023, McKinney has centered his congressional campaign on three core issues: getting corporate dollars and cash from undisclosed donors out of politics, backing Medicare for All and providing free universal childcare.

While speaking with Michigan Advance, McKinney noted that Thanedar was elected to Congress the same year McKinney was elected to the Michigan House. During that same period of time, McKinney argued he’d delivered more funding for Detroit as a member of the Michigan House Appropriations Committee than Thanedar had as a congressional representative.

During his campaigning Thanedar has slammed McKinney for taking $2,000 from Ambassador Bridge owner and Trump donor Matthew Moroun for his state House Campaign in 2022-2023.

McKinney told Michigan Advance those dollars had gone to support food programs and community events. 

“I never personally benefited from those contributions. I just gave it straight to the community,” McKinney said, pointing to his record in the Legislature of supporting efforts to ban utility companies and state contractors from donating to political campaigns.

Although Thanedar has won the support of U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), McKinney has been endorsed by multiple members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Reps. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada), Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.) and Summer Lee (D-Pa.). McKinney also has the support of fellow Detroit-area Rep. Tlaib and Bernie Sanders.

As of July 15 McKinney had raised $1.37 million, with $142,853 in cash on hand.

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With control of the U.S. House expected to again hinge on a handful of competitive districts, the winners of Tuesday’s primaries will set the stage for some of Michigan’s most closely watched and consequential races in November.