Former State Senator Adam Hollier, D-Detroit, officially announced his candidacy for Michigan’s 13th Congressional district. Hollier is seeking to challenge the current US House seat of US Representative Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, currently serving his first term in the office.
“Detroit needs a Congressman who delivers, and we need it right now,” said Hollier in a statement posted on x (formerly known as Twitter).
“Today, I’m throwing my hat in the ring – to continue my lifetime of service, and deliver real results for this community.”
Hollier, announced his candidacy Tuesday afternoon at the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit.
The husband, father, and military reservist was joined on the campaign stage alongside his wife Krystle Hollier, Wayne County Commission Chair Alisha Bell, and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans.
“I’m tired of empty promises,” Hollier said, in front of a crowd of nearly 100 supporters. “I am especially tired of out-of-touch multi-millionaires like Shri Thanadar. Because they think they can buy up votes. They think the job is posting memes, not delivering services, and taking care of you and your family.”
Rep. Shri Thanedar’s former communications director, Adam Abusalah, posted a series of accusatory messages on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday afternoon, blasting the first-term Congressman, citing multiple instances that he claims represent significant breaches of moral and ethical conduct by the Thanedar.
In an interview with Michigan Chronicle, Hollier expressed if elected, he would fight for military veterans, accessible health care, gun violence, and livable wage jobs. He noted the importance of fighting for fair wages as workers trying to make ends meet amid a one-month-long United Auto Workers strike and the backdrop of Detroit casino workers walking off the job and onto the picket line on the same day as his campaign announcement.
“They are standing outside because they want higher wages and when they get higher wages, we all have higher wages, we all have a better standard of living,” he said. “We’re talking about what this means for working people, because that’s the kind of household I grew up in.”
Hollier previously ran for the seat in 2022 and loss in the primary race filled with many Democrat Black candidates.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans led a committee last year to select one candidate to endorse and back exclusively, concerned that too many candidates within the same racial background will split the votes of the Black community.
Other Black candidates in the race at the time included John Conyers III (the late Congressman John Conyers Jr.’s son), Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (former state representative, current Detroit School Board member), Michael Griffie (educator, attorney), Angela McIntosh (business owner), Sharon McPhail (attorney, former city council member), Toni Mua (social change advocate), Portia Roberson (CEO, Focus: Hope), and Lorrie Rutledge (business owner).
County Executive Evans who was present at the campaign launch would once again lend his support.
“He is the most qualified candidate,” Evans said. “He’s been a policy guy since day one. He understands that you don’t go somewhere in the legislative position just to advocate for what you think ought to happen.”
Alluding to Representative Thanedar, Evans remarked there was a “disconnect” with the current officeholder and says the congressional seat needs someone would can build a coalition.
Hollier says he believes his record of getting things and bringing back funding to his constituents as state senator trounces anything trounces anything Representative Thanedar has accomplished so far in Congress. He remains hopeful that this time around, his campaign will be victorious compared to last year’s race which saw the Black vote split amongst the varied Black candidates in the race.
“When you look out that this last year, the Congressman doesn’t have anything he’s going to come back and say, Oh this is what I did.” Hollier says.
“Last time, there were a lot of people who were not with me, who are now standing with me on day one.”
“The truth is, what our community needs is very simple – someone who will listen, show up, and deliver,” Hollier says. “And that’s what I’ve always done. We’re tired of the promises and platitudes. We need results.”
The 13th Congressional district includes much of Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, the Grosse Pointes, and some Downriver and western Wayne County cities.
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