The day has come, John: Today, Justice Democrats is officially announcing our first 2026 primary challenger of the cycle: State Representative Donavan McKinney in Michigan’s 13th district!

Donavan just launched his grassroots campaign against a self-funded multimillionaire incumbent, and we need to show he’s got people power behind him in these crucial first 24 hours.

Will you become a Day 1 founding donor by pitching in any amount now? 100% of your donation will go directly to supporting Donavan’s campaign.

This is Justice Democrats’ first new primary candidate in a few years, and it’s a race that embodies our fight to transform the future of the Democratic Party.

We’re really proud to back Donavan. He’s a working-class progressive and lifelong Detroiter who’s ready to take on corporate-backed, out-of-touch multimillionaire Shri Thanedar and win.

Unlike his incumbent opponent, Donavan is truly always with the people:

He has served as a State Representative for Michigan’s 11th House District since 2023 — the poorest district in the state with a median income of less than $20,000. While there, he has fought hard for his district, helping to secure tens of millions of dollars for public schools, community recreation centers, Community Violence Interruption programs, and clean water for Detroit and its suburbs.

He has been a champion for environmental justice, workers' rights, and labor unions — powering crucial work at the state’s largest healthcare union, SEIU Healthcare Michigan, and spearheading crucial climate work for clean air & water and a sustainable future in Michigan at Climate Power. In January 2020, he also made history with his appointment to Michigan’s first Environmental Justice Council by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, where he was instrumental in Gov. Whitmer’s Water Restart Program and her statewide Water Reconnection Executive Order during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He has lived the most pressing problems his community faces. He grew up poor in northeast Detroit, but his mother and grandmother provided him with all that he needed: love, family, and the importance of community. Their guidance led Donavan toward becoming the community leader and public servant he is today. Growing up, he experienced eviction and homelessness, has seen his mom work multiple jobs to feed her family, and has the same asthmatic cough his mother, grandmother, and brother have from toxic, polluted air.

Millionaires like incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar don’t fight for us in Washington because they don’t understand our problems. People are fed up with a Democratic Party overrun by do-nothing politicians who are unfit to lead the fight for working people in this moment.

Donavan represents the future the Democratic Party should be fighting for: working-class people taking our power back from the ultra-wealthy to deliver for everyday people.

Who we send to fight for us matters. And it’s time the Mighty 13th District sends someone to Congress who fights with the urgency our current crises demand and has a vision bold enough to match the scale of those crises.

Let’s get to work making it happen in MI-13. Rush $5 or anything you can to help us get to our goal of $50,000 and kick Donavan’s campaign off strong on Day 1!

Contribute $5

This race is only the beginning. Let’s go!

In solidarity,

Alexandra Rojas
Executive Director