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Michigan state Rep. Shri Thanedar (D) defeated Martell Bivings (R) on Tuesday to become the House representative for Michigan’s 13th congressional district, which includes most of Detroit, the Associated Press reports.
Thanedar’s win makes him the fifth Indian American member of Congress alongside Reps. Ami Bera (D-California), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois), Ro Khanna (D-California), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington).
The victory also marks the first time in 70 years that Detroit, a city where 77% of the population is Black, will not have a Black representative in Congress. Bivings, as well as all eight of the other contenders in the Democratic primary, are Black. Black advocates had worried that the eight Black candidates would split the vote and deliver a win to Thanedar.
Thanedar’s platform emphasized his progressive beliefs and immigrant roots. He said his experiences growing up in poverty in India allows him to connect with constituents in the district, 28% of whom live below the poverty line.
He campaigned on support for Medicare for All, reproductive rights, and equitable access to education, and funneled millions of his own money into the race.
“I’ve achieved the American Dream. But what I noticed is that the American Dream is not accessible to many people, especially in urban areas, in the Black and brown communities,” Thanedar said in an October interview with The Print. “So, my motivation was to enter public service. I feel that I’ve been blessed, I have done well for my family, and it’s time for me to give back.
Though he highlighted his attention to racial inequality on the campaign trail, some Black politicians and local officials have accused him of taking advantage of redistricting to run for the seat—he moved to Detroit from Ann Arbor in 2018—and argue that he won’t adequately prioritize the Black population’s perspective and agenda.
An independent panel redrew Michigan’s congressional districts in 2021 based off of 2020 Census data. While Detroit was previously split between two majority-Black districts, neither of the two redrawn districts that contain the city—the 13th being one of them—have a majority Black population.
Thanedar grew up in India, working at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center in Mumbai before immigrating to the U.S. in 1979 at age 24. He bought and expanded a pharmaceutical services company in St. Louis, Missouri, and started a chemical testing company in Ann Arbor.
He unsuccessfully ran for governor of Michigan in 2018, finishing third in the Democratic primaries. He was elected to Michigan’s state legislature, representing a portion of Detroit, in 2020.
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