{
  "id": 198580,
  "title": "House candidate wins primary despite ending campaign, beating Trump endorsee",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/house-candidate-wins-primary-despite-ending-campaign-beating-trump",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-06T00:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thomas-smith-dropped-out-wins-michigan-house-seat-defeats-trump-opponent/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Michigan's 8th District GOP primary, Thomas Smith secured victory with a slim majority of votes, according to CBS News projections, despite having suspended his campaign in mid-July. Surprisingly, Smith defeated Amir Hassan, who had received the endorsement of President Trump. The president even attended a campaign rally featuring Hassan and other Republican candidates in Milford, Michigan. Smith, who identifies himself as a salsa entrepreneur and retired General Motors engineer, faced challenges with fundraising. In a July 12 letter to the Federal Election Commission, he revealed he had raised only $1,850 by June 30. He also struggled with the FEC's technology, stating he couldn't file the required form electronically due to login issues and lack of response from the help desk. After withdrawing from the race, Smith endorsed Al Lemmo, who finished third, behind Hassan. Lemmo, who covered Flint and other Central Michigan areas, is now reviving his campaign and expressed gratitude for being chosen to oppose incumbent Democratic congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet. The 8th District, covering Flint and other parts of Central Michigan, is one of 13 House seats where Democrats won in 2024 but favored Trump in the presidential election. Hassan, a Navy veteran with a background in federal law enforcement, expressed disappointment but admitted he was not defeated. He tweeted that he is \"disappointed, not defeated\" and is disappointed but not defeated. Trump alluded to Hassan's primary loss on Wednesday, mentioning his endorsement of many candidates, with a 28 wins and one loss record. He described Hassan as a \"good person, very good, very respected\" but acknowledged nobody knew who Hassan was ahead of the election.",
  "summary": "Thomas Smith won Michigan's 8th District GOP primary on Tuesday — even though he had suspended his campaign in mid-July. Even more surprisingly: He defeated a Trump-endorsed candidate.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}