Thomas Smith dropped his Michigan House bid last month, but won the GOP primary anyway, beating Trump-backed opponent

August 5, 2026 / 8:15 PM EDT / CBS News

Thomas Smith dropped his Michigan House bid last month, but won the GOP primary anyway, beating Trump-backed opponent

TL;DR

  • Thomas Smith won the Michigan 8th District GOP primary, projected by CBS News with over 50% of the vote.
  • Smith had suspended his campaign in mid-July but still secured victory.
  • He defeated Amir Hassan, who had received President Trump's endorsement.
  • Smith is described as a salsa entrepreneur and retired General Motors engineer who struggled with fundraising.
  • Upon withdrawing, Smith endorsed Al Lemmo, who finished third.
  • The 8th District is a swing district where voters favored Trump in 2024 but elected a Democrat to Congress.
  • Hassan is the only Trump-endorsed House candidate to lose a primary this cycle so far.
  • President Trump commented on the loss, referring to a candidate who was a 'good person' but 'nobody knew who the person was.'