Retired engineer Thomas J. “Tom” Smith secured a surprising victory in the GOP primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District on Tuesday, August 5th, 2026, defeating President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Navy veteran and law enforcement officer Amir Hassan.

With more than 95% of ballots counted, the Associated Press reported Smith received 50.4% of the vote compared to Hassan’s 33.2%. Smith had suspended his campaign on July 17th but remained on the ballot and endorsed fellow engineer Al Lemmo, who finished third with 16.4% of the vote.

Smith carried every county in the district, according to The New York Times. He had described his campaign as a "late entry" and disclosed raising only $1,850 through the end of June in a handwritten note to a Federal Election Commission (FEC) inspector, as shared by CNN’s Patrick Svitek.

In contrast, Hassan’s campaign raised over $727,000 through mid-July, per FEC records. President Trump publicly endorsed Hassan on July 28th via Truth Social, stating, “Amir Hassan has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Michigan’s 8th Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

Before the AP called the primary for him, Smith expressed gratitude and outlined his intentions: “I am humbled and honored. I look forward to working with Speaker 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.”

Sources