Thomas Smith, a political unknown who raised only $1,850 through June 30 and suspended his campaign in mid-July, has defeated President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Amir Hassan, in the Republican primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, NBC News projects.

The 8th District, which Trump carried by 2 points in the 2024 election, is a battleground the GOP aims to flip this fall against Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet. With nearly all votes counted, Smith led with 50% of the vote, while Hassan finished with 33%.

Smith had appeared to be a non-factor in the race. In a handwritten letter to the Federal Election Commission, a rare move as most candidates file electronically, Smith explained he raised $1,850 and cited difficulties logging into the FEC’s candidate portal as the reason for filing paperwork by hand. His last campaign Facebook post was on July 15.

Before entering politics, Smith worked as an engineer at General Motors and later started a salsa company with one of his sons, a Marine veteran, according to his campaign website.

Sources attribute Hassan’s loss to Smith, despite Smith’s campaign suspension, highlighting the unexpected nature of the primary outcome.

Sources