5 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Getting corporate money out of politics, the centrepiece of his primary campaign.
Medicare for All.
Ending U.S. military aid to Israel.
Labour rights and working-class economic policy.
Detroit's water, housing and infrastructure needs.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Michigan state representative; lifelong Detroit resident.
Beat two-term incumbent Shri Thanedar in the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary, 51.9% to 48.1%.
Describes himself as a democratic socialist.
Endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Steven Horsford, former Rep. Brenda Lawrence, the Michigan Chronicle and Detroit-area labour groups.
Arguments in favor
Detroit's Black-owned newspaper of record and local labour groups backed him, alongside the best-known economic populists in Congress, and he beat a sitting member of his own party.
— The Michigan Chronicle; Sen. Bernie Sanders; Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Steven Horsford; former Rep. Brenda Lawrence
Arguments against
Much of the House Democratic leadership backed the incumbent against him, including the party whip and the chairs of the Hispanic and Asian Pacific American caucuses — a signal that senior Democrats did not want the seat to change hands this way.
— Reps. Pete Aguilar, Judy Chu and Minority Whip Katherine Clark, who endorsed Shri Thanedar
What we couldn’t verify
The leadership endorsements were of his opponent rather than criticisms of him by name; no direct published criticism of McKinney by name could be found, including from the National Republican Congressional Committee or from T.P. Nykoriak's campaign.
How his democratic socialist label will be used against him in the general election was not established from sources read.
His fundraising was not established from sources read.
Republican nominee for Michigan's 13th District in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Convicted in federal court in 2016 and sentenced to sixteen months in prison for stealing U.S. savings bonds from a church.
Has not held elected office.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
The 2016 federal conviction is set out in his record above because it is a matter of court record; no opponent or organisation was found making an argument from it, so it is not presented as an argument against him.
His policy positions could not be established: his campaign site did not yield positions that could be quoted, and no candidate questionnaire or news profile covering him was located. The positions list is left empty rather than filled with guesses.
No published case for him beyond his own campaign material could be found, and his fundraising was not established.
U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate for Michigan's 13th District in the November 3, 2026 general election.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
Dardzinski's biography and policy positions could not be established: no campaign website, candidate questionnaire or news profile was located. The positions list is left empty rather than filled with guesses.
No published criticism of Dardzinski by name could be found, and no published case for this candidacy beyond the ballot listing.
Green Party candidate for Michigan's 13th District in the November 3, 2026 general election.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
Light's biography and policy positions could not be established: no campaign website, candidate questionnaire or news profile was located. The positions list is left empty rather than filled with guesses.
No published criticism of Light by name could be found, and no published case for this candidacy beyond the ballot listing.
Working Class Party candidate for Michigan's 13th District in the November 3, 2026 general election.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
Coleman's biography and policy positions could not be established: no campaign website, candidate questionnaire or news profile was located. The positions list is left empty rather than filled with guesses.
No published criticism of Coleman by name could be found, and no published case for this candidacy beyond the ballot listing.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Michigan held its primary on August 4, 2026, and this district produced the state's biggest upset: state representative Donavan McKinney beat two-term Democratic incumbent Shri Thanedar 51.9% to 48.1%, so the sitting member is not on the November ballot. Republican T.P. Nykoriak, U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Chris Dardzinski, Green Party candidate Raelyn Light and Working Class Party candidate Simone R. Coleman complete the field. Two independents who filed, Maurice Morton and Shelby Campbell, are marked disqualified on the Michigan Bureau of Elections' general election candidate listing and are not on the ballot. The district covers most of Detroit plus Taylor and Romulus, and the Cook Political Report rates it solidly Democratic. Roster confirmed against the Michigan Bureau of Elections' general election candidate listing, Ballotpedia and Axios Detroit, Michigan Advance and Michigan Public reporting. Criticism of Nykoriak or of the three minor-party candidates by name could not be found, so their entries carry no arguments in either column; a federal conviction on Nykoriak's record is set out there as a matter of fact rather than presented as an argument. Candidates are listed in the order of the Michigan Bureau of Elections' general election candidate listing.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Michigan ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.