Thomas Smith projected to win Michigan primary after suspending campaign
Thomas Smith was projected to beat Trump-backed Amir Hassan in Michigan’s 8th District GOP primary after pausing his own campaign.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
2 min read
Thomas Smith Michigan primary result: the Republican was projected to win the party’s nomination in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, despite suspending his campaign in mid-July and endorsing another candidate.
CBS News and the NBC News Decision Desk projected Smith as the winner of Tuesday’s primary over Amir Hassan, who had President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The New York Times reported Smith had 31,149 votes, or 50.4%, while Hassan had 20,506, or 33.2%.
Al Lemmo, the candidate Smith backed when he left the race, finished third with 16.4%, according to NBC News results. NBC said its projection came with 99% of expected votes counted and fewer than 500 votes estimated to remain.
Who won the Michigan 8th District Republican primary?
Smith was projected to win the three-way Republican contest. He had suspended his campaign in mid-July, CBS News reported, but revived it after the result and said Republicans had chosen him to take on Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet.
Hassan, a Navy veteran with a federal law-enforcement background, had been endorsed by Trump. The president appeared with Hassan and other Republican candidates at a rally in Milford, Michigan, days before the vote, according to CBS News.
Hassan wrote on X that he was “disappointed not defeated,” CBS News reported. Trump later referred to one loss among his endorsed candidates in remarks in Las Vegas without naming Hassan.
A campaign pause, then a primary win
Smith, who describes himself on his campaign website as a salsa entrepreneur and retired General Motors engineer, had backed Lemmo in a video after suspending his own run, CBS News reported.
A handwritten letter Smith sent to the Federal Election Commission on July 12 said he had raised $1,850 through June 30. In the filing, he also said he had not been able to submit the form electronically because he could not log in and had not received help-desk assistance, according to CBS News.
The result does not establish why GOP voters selected Smith over Hassan or Lemmo. It does put a candidate who had stepped aside back on the ballot for one of Michigan’s November House races.
What happens next?
Smith is set to face McDonald Rivet, the Democratic incumbent, in the Nov. 3 general election. McDonald Rivet had no opponent in the Democratic primary, according to NBC News.
Michigan’s 8th District includes Flint and other parts of central Michigan, CBS News reported. The outlet said it was among 13 House districts that elected a Democrat to Congress while backing Trump for president in 2024.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.