Indian-American Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) lost his Democrat primary Tuesday to a Democratic Socialist, a defeat that leaves the ethnic Indian bloc in Congress down two seats in a single cycle.
Thanedar fell to Detroit state Rep. Donavan McKinney by 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent, the Associated Press reported. The race was called Wednesday morning. McKinney will be the heavy favorite in November in a solidly Democrat district.
“The socialist movement that has defeated many sitting members in New York and elsewhere has come to Michigan, and we came out short,” he told the New York Times.
Six Indian-American lawmakers sat in the House at the start of 2025. Thanedar was one of them. So was Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), who lost his own Senate primary in Illinois in March. The men leave Capitol Hill at the same time.
That drops the caucus to four sitting members: Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA).
Indian-American outlets took the twin losses hard. News India Times wrote that the so-called “Samosa Caucus” may be “diminished” and asked whether the community’s influence in Washington would fade with it. The outlet noted that Krishnamoorthi’s exit “will be felt.” He was among the most visible of the group.
Thanedar’s own record made him a target. He belonged to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) before 2023. He quit the group that year over its response to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. McKinney, a current DSA member, ran to his left and won the wing Thanedar had walked away from.
The two-term congressman spent much of his tenure chasing President Donald Trump. He filed seven articles of impeachment in April 2025 without backing from Democrat leadership. Thanedar’s rise pointed to the growing role of ethnic Indian politicians in the House.
Dr. Amish Shah won an Arizona primary in July and is the Democrat nominee in the state’s First District. Other Indian-American candidates are running down the ballot in New Jersey, Georgia, and beyond.
Thanedar said he is not finished.
“I did not have a plan B… I will continue to stay involved and continue to help serve the people of my district,” he told the New York Times.
Thanedar posted a message on X congratulating McKinney and promising a smooth transition. The replies were not kind.
