Retired engineer Thomas J. “Tom” Smith secured a surprising victory in the GOP primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District on Tuesday, August 5, 2026, despite having dropped out of the race a month earlier.

According to the Associated Press, with over 95% of ballots counted, Smith received 50.4% of the vote, while Navy veteran and law enforcement officer Amir Hassan, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, garnered 33.2%. Smith carried every county in the district, as reported by The New York Times.

Smith had suspended his campaign on July 17 but remained on the ballot and publicly supported fellow engineer Al Lemmo, who ultimately finished third with 16.4% of the vote. Smith announced his suspension in a 15-second video posted on Lemmo’s campaign website.

Hassan’s campaign had raised more than $727,000 through mid-July, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) data. Trump had publicly endorsed Hassan on July 28 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!”

Smith, who described his campaign as a “late entry” and reported raising only $1,850 through the end of June in a handwritten note to an FEC inspector, expressed humility and honor in a statement reported by The Atlantic’s Michael Scherer. He said he looks forward to working with Speaker Johnson and the Republican team to expand the House majority and advance President Trump’s America First agenda.

Sources