Trump-endorsed candidate trails dropped-out rival in Michigan GOP primary

Published Aug 5, 12:12 PM UTC

In a surprising Michigan GOP primary result for the 8th Congressional District, President Donald Trump's endorsed candidate, Amir Hassan, is trailing Thomas Smith, who dropped out of the race in mid-July. With 99% of ballots counted, Smith has 50.4% of the vote, while Hassan has only 33.2%. Smith's name remained on the ballot after he ended his campaign and endorsed rival Al Lemmo, who is in third place with 16.4%. The race has not yet been officially called by the Associated Press. The winner will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet in the general election. This marks another endorsement miss for Trump, despite his recent successes in other primaries. Trump had made multiple Truth Social posts endorsing Hassan, a former Navy and federal law enforcement officer, and attacking Rivet.