MEDIA
Date updated: July 24th, 2026
Shri Thanedar is Michigan’s Trump. Donavan McKinney is a working-class champion who will take on Trump, Shri, and their corporate donors to fight for the people.
Summary: Growing up poor in Northeast Detroit, Donavan saw firsthand how hard it was for working families to make ends meet. In Lansing, he has fought to lower costs for Detroiters and hold DTE accountable for hiking energy bills. In Congress, Donavan will always refuse corporate PAC money, fight for Medicare for all, stop big corporations from enriching themselves at our expense, and stand up to Trump at every turn. That is why he is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and former Rep. Brenda Lawrence.
Called Michigan’s Trump, Shri Thanedar will say and do anything to get power or enrich himself, including voting with Trump and taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Trump’s donors. While ICE terrorizes communities nationwide, Shri is bankrolled by ICE contractors, and just last year, as ICE arrest rates doubled in Detroit, he even voted to “thank ICE.” As a State Rep., he said he was against sending weapons to Israel, but now he adopts whatever position AIPAC and their donors need him to have so he can keep them on his side.
Michigan is a heavy absentee vote state, and voters need to read and see on the go about Donavan McKinney before they cast their ballots. Ballots drop in week 6 on June 25th. We expect up to a third of the votes will likely be cast via absentee ballot by week 1.
Additional information for read:
For voters who need to see on the go, the title and summary sections are most important. Below is some additional information for voters who need to read.
About Donavan:
Donavan McKinney understands that healthcare is a right and not a privilege. In Congress, he will fight for Medicare-for-All and fight to eliminate medical debt.
In Congress, Donavan McKinney will oppose the unconditional funding of weapons and bombs because he knows we cannot keep funding the killing of civilians and war crimes in Gaza, Iran, and beyond with our taxpayer dollars.
He's endorsed by progressive leaders like Bernie Sanders, Rashida Tlaib, Garlin Gilchrist, and former Congresspeople Brenda Lawrence and Andy Levin. White voters need to read and see his progressive validators. Black voters need to read and see about his community ties.
Having grown up in the district all his life, Donavan will fight to ensure no one in the Black community grows up without clean air and water, that Detroiters can afford their auto-insurance, and will lower the cost of utilities and hold DTE accountable.
About Shri:
Shri Thanedar will say and do anything to have power or enrich himself. Before his run for Michigan Governor, he said he didn't know whether he was going to run as a Republican or a Democrat. When asked about his abortion stance, he said he was comfortable with whatever position he needed to adopt to get the best chance to win.
During his time in the State House, he co-sponsored a bill that was against sending weapons to Israel, but now he adopts whatever position AIPAC and their donors need him to have so he can keep them on his side. Shri has received nearly $2.3 million in support from AIPAC-aligned PACs and has directly taken over $300,000 from AIPAC and its allied PACs, which endorsed members of Congress who stood with January 6th insurrectionists.
Shri Thanedar has supported key parts of Donald Trump's agenda. He voted with Trump on his corrupt cryptocurrency bill, allowing Trump, Trump's family, and Shri himself to profit off crypto while in office. Since he entered Congress, Shri has also invested in Elon Musk's Tesla.
Shri Thanedar has taken thousands of dollars in campaign cash from ICE contractors. He even voted to thank ICE as they were terrorizing our communities.
When parts of Detroit flooded, Shri was nowhere to be found. He has also spent nearly $1 million dollars of taxpayer money on TV ads, mailers, and billboards promoting himself, rather than hiring staff to handle constituent services, leaving other electedofficials’ offices to help Shri’s constituents when Shri won’t. Black voters need to read about his record of failing to deliver for his constituents.
Core Goals:
Late (Weeks 2-0)
Voters need to see on cable and see on broadcast our contrast message, including that they should not believe Shri’s lies and information on DTE and Crypto/AIPAC rebuttal.
Likely Democratic primary voters need to see on the go our contrast message, including information on DTE and Crypto/AIPAC rebuttal.
Likely Democratic primary voters, including election day voters need to read our closing, contrast message, including information on DTE and Crypto/AIPAC rebuttal.
Voters searching on the internet need to see our contrast message, including information on DTE and Crypto/AIPAC rebuttal.
Key Targets:
1 of 3 Democratic primary voters
Democratic primary voters under 50 who have voted in any election in the last 4 years
Progressives who support local and national progressives on social media
Key zip codes HERE
Key Citations:
“Fought to lower costs for Detroiters”
“...hold DTE accountable for hiking energy bills”
“Called Michigan’s Trump”
“...voting with Trump”
“...taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Trump’s donors”
“Shri is bankrolled…”
“...by ICE contractors”
“...as ICE arrest rates doubled in Detroit”
“...he even voted to thank ICE”
“...he said he was against sending weapons to Israel”
“..now he adopts whatever position AIPAC and their donors need”
Validators:
Alberta Tinsley alberta4detroit@gmail.com
Denzel McCampbell mccampbell.da@gmail.com
Bob McCrait rmccraight@sbcglobal.net
Pastor Sterling Brewer sterlin.b@att.net
Darrin Camilleri darrin.camilleri@gmail.com
Alisha Bell keennab@gmail.com
Jo Adams josarahadams@gmail.com
Jennifer Root jennifer.root@seiumisc.org
Stephanie Chang stephanieliychang@gmail.com
Assets: