Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar’s Chief Opponent Disqualified From Primary Ballot

Freshman Democrat Shri Thanedar may have a much easier time getting reelected this year after initiating a challenge that disqualified his chief rival from the primary ballot for his Detroit-based U.S. House seat.

Thanedar’s opponent, Adam Hollier, suspended his campaign over the weekend, less than two weeks after the clerk in Detroit’s Wayne County found that Hollier hadn’t submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot. Michigan’s secretary of state on Thursday declined to overturn the decision.

“Unfortunately, during the critical signature gathering process, I took my eye off the ball. I put my trust in someone who not only let me down, but let down tens of thousands of voters in this district who deserve a representative who shows up and fights for them,” Hollier said in a statement to HuffPost.

Thanedar still faces three Democratic challengers in August, but none seem as formidable as Hollier, a former member of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s cabinet. While it’s rare for political figures to come out against incumbents from their own parties, Hollier had endorsements from former Detroit Rep. Brenda Lawrence and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

On Thursday, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan endorsed Detroit City Councilman Mary Waters in the primary, the latest sign that Thanedar has struggled to build relationships with key district leaders during his year and a half in office.

A chemist and entrepreneur who emigrated from India at age 24, Thanedar self-funded his 2022 campaign for Congress and has already loaned his 2024 campaign over $3.3 million.

Thanedar faces questions over whether he’s an effective representative for his majority Black district . His detractors say he’s overly