Retired engineer Thomas J. “Tom” Smith won the Republican primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District on Tuesday, August 5th, 2026, securing 50.4% of the vote against Navy veteran and law enforcement officer Amir Hassan, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and received 33.2% of the vote, according to the Associated Press with over 95% of ballots counted.

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, as reported by The New York Times.

In a 15-second video posted to Lemmo’s campaign website, Smith announced his suspension and full support for Lemmo. Despite dropping out, Smith’s campaign had raised only $1,850 through the end of June, as noted in a handwritten letter to an FEC inspector shared by CNN’s Patrick Svitek. By contrast, Hassan’s campaign raised over $727,000 through mid-July, according to FEC records.

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!”

After the primary results, Smith expressed humility and eagerness to work with House Speaker Johnson and the Republican team to expand their majority and advance President Trump’s America First agenda, aiming to lower costs for working families and make America more affordable, as reported by The Atlantic’s Michael Scherer.

Sources