Voting stickers are displayed at a polling place in Michigan Tuesday. (Finn Gomez / Getty Images)
By Michael Schwarz August 5, 2026 at 12:36pm
Defenders of democracy as a rational system must seek evidence somewhere outside Michigan House District 8.
According to NBC News, Republican candidate Amir Hassan, despite backing from President Donald Trump, finished more than 17 points behind fellow Republican candidate Thomas Smith in Tuesday’s GOP primary.
Smith prevailed despite suspending his campaign last month, according to The Hill.
Now, the surprise winner will advance to the general election against incumbent Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, who will enjoy a significant fundraising advantage with more than $4.2 million cash on hand.
And Smith has pledged to show up for that contest.
“I look forward to working with Speaker [Mike] Johnson and the entire Republican team to expand our House majority and advance President Trump’s America First agenda to lower costs for working families and make America affordable again,” the primary winner said in a statement, according to Politico.
Smith, a retired engineer, had ironically endorsed Al Lemmo, Tuesday’s third-place finisher.
Will Republicans hold onto control of the House in November?
Meanwhile, last week in Milford, Michigan, Trump appeared at a rally with Hassan, a Navy veteran and former law enforcement officer.
On the social media platform X, the unusual result generated reactions ranging from humor to accusations of racism.
“This is it, folks; we’re getting 1) a suspended campaign winning the nomination, 2) Trump’s endorsed candidate losing, and 3) NYT not having a headshot of the winner,” one journalist wrote.
This is it, folks; we’re getting 1) a suspended campaign winning the nomination, 2) Trump’s endorsed candidate losing, and 3) NYT not having a headshot of the winner https://t.co/9HA2CkHVgt pic.twitter.com/l7HYQ75xAi
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) August 5, 2026
Meanwhile, at least one X user had fun with the third-place finisher’s name.
I knew Lemmo was doomed when he didn’t once say “remember the Al Lemmo”
— Will (@willrobhin) August 5, 2026
Other X users, however, accused Republicans of racism or anti-Muslim bigotry for rejecting Hassan.
Imagine being an only slightly checked-in GOP primary voter who gets to this point in the ballot and finds himself/herself confronted with “Amir Hassan” and “Thomas Smith.”
— Ray Suarez (@RaySuarezNews) August 5, 2026
MAGA continues to show black folk they are not welcome in their cult. I guess Amir received that message loud and clear with his double digit loss to a candidate that dropped out of the race.
— Gee Money (@DorchTroy) August 5, 2026
Lowkey are republicans so racist that they auto voted for the guy named Thomas Smith because they could never vote for an Amir Hassan
— verde (@Verde_SSB) August 5, 2026
According to Politico, an anonymous Republican strategist amplified that narrative.
The “GOP base was reluctant to support a dude named Amir Hassan,” the strategist said.
Trump, often accused of racism by his enemies, had endorsed Hassan nonetheless.
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Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
