Let me introduce myself, John: I’m Donavan McKinney, and I’m running for Congress in Michigan’s 13th district to give working-class Detroiters the representation they deserve.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be Justice Democrats’ first endorsement of the 2026 election cycle. With you on my team, I’m ready to challenge Detroit’s out-of-touch, self-funded, multimillionaire incumbent who cozies up to corporate donors — and I’m ready to empower my community with leadership that actually fights for them, no matter the political cost.

But before I share more of my story with you, I have to ask: will you become a founding donor of my grassroots campaign today, and help me show the country we can beat a millionaire without taking a single cent of corporate PAC money ourselves?

Born in Detroit and raised by my mother and grandmother, I learned the importance of community, leadership, and service early on in life. I’m a proud product of Detroit Public Schools, and proud to be the first in the family that raised me to become a college graduate.

After receiving my degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, I put my education into action. I served as a Legislative Director in the Michigan State House of Representatives and undertook community engagement work for a local nonprofit called Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD). I also worked in admissions and helped improve student life at Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD), and spent time fighting for workers at the largest healthcare union in the state, SEIU Healthcare Michigan. I care deeply about our students, our unions, and our working families, who are just trying to get by and create fulfilling lives they can be proud of.

I also care deeply about climate change and environmental justice. Growing up in the shadow of Detroit’s smokestacks and factories, I developed a cough I still have today — a cough my mother and grandmother have too, and a cough I’m committed to preventing in my two young children. Before I became a State Rep. – fighting to make our air and water cleaner, among many other things — I was the National Political Director for Climate Power, an environmental organization dedicated to helping communities, leaders, and elected officials alike understand the benefits of investing in clean energy. And in 2020, I was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to serve on Michigan’s first Environmental Justice Council, where I have advocated for water accessibility and affordability. And as a Detroiter, a State Rep., and a parent, I’m proud to have helped fund over $600 million to replace lead pipes in Detroit and its suburbs, because no parent should have to worry about their children’s drinking water poisoning them.

Since 2023, I’ve had the honor of serving the people of Southeast Michigan in the Michigan State House. For the last two years as a state representative, I’ve prioritized increasing access to health care, ensuring every child in Michigan receives a quality education, improving the criminal justice system, and securing the rights of unions and workers.

My life’s work has been about improving the lives of everyday people in Michigan. It’s about time we had someone in this seat truly committed to doing the same. As long as there are multimillionaires like Rep. Shri Thanedar in Congress — who think you can buy a seat, not earn it — the needs of working-class people in districts like Michigan’s 13th will go ignored and unmet.

Well, I’m not running because I’m a millionaire. I’m running because I’m not.

I’m running because this fight — the 99% vs the 1% — is so much bigger than one person or one office. It’s about our kids, our futures, and our community — and the fact that we all deserve representation that truly fights for every one of us.

We are in this Democratic primary to win it, and to bring our fight for working-class Detroiters to Congress — but we can’t do it without you. Help set our campaign up for success from the jump with a grassroots contribution of anything you can give today.

Contribute $5

We’ve got a long road ahead of us, but I know that, together, we’ll get there — so let’s get to work!

Thank you,

Donavan