Every election asks voters a simple question: Who is prepared to move our community forward?
For the people of Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, the reality is that families – especially those in Detroit – are working hard, yet many continue to face rising costs, housing instability, aging infrastructure, underfunded schools, and the challenge of finding jobs that provide lasting economic security. Parents want stronger schools. Seniors want to remain in their homes. Young people want opportunities that allow them to build successful futures in the city they love. These are the issues that should define this election.
The Michigan Chronicle believes Donavan McKinney is the best prepared candidate to meet that moment, and we are proud to endorse him for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
McKinney’s connection to Detroit runs deep. Raised by his mother and grandmother, he experienced housing insecurity, financial hardship, and frequent moves during his childhood. He understands what it feels like when a family struggles to make ends meet because his family lived that reality. He also understands what opportunity can accomplish. His determination led him to become the first person in his family to graduate from college, and that journey has shaped every step of his public service.
Today, McKinney serves in the Michigan House of Representatives, where his work has centered on improving the lives of working families. He has supported increased funding for public schools, advocated for clean drinking water, strengthened protections for workers, and helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars to replace lead service lines throughout Michigan. He also helped obtain more than $10 million for community violence intervention programs that invest in neighborhood safety through outreach, prevention, and local partnerships.
Before entering elected office, McKinney organized with the Service Employees International Union. He spent years advocating alongside healthcare workers and working families for better wages, stronger labor protections, and economic security. That experience reinforced a belief that good jobs, quality schools, affordable healthcare, safe neighborhoods, and stable housing all work together to create thriving communities. Those priorities continue to define his campaign for Congress.
The work of a member of Congress touches nearly every part of daily life. Federal investments support roads and bridges, schools and workforce training, housing programs, neighborhood development, and community organizations. Effective representation helps bring those resources home and ensures communities have access to opportunities that improve quality of life.
Residents, however, also deserve to see the impact of those investments in their everyday lives.
Progress is measured by outcomes that families can actually feel. Higher household incomes. More stable employment. Safer neighborhoods. Better schools. Greater homeownership. Lower poverty. Expanded opportunity for young people preparing for adulthood. These are the measures that tell us whether communities are moving in the right direction.
Congressman Shri Thanedar has highlighted federal funding for infrastructure, workforce development, neighborhood revitalization, education, and community organizations throughout Detroit. Those investments have supported important local projects and provided valuable resources to organizations serving residents. Community programs have received assistance. Planning efforts have moved forward. Construction projects have been funded.
But to what end for every day, hard-working Detroiters who deserve a candidate that understands their daily struggles? Many Black neighborhoods throughout the 13th District continue to face the same serious economic challenges that existed before Thanedar took office. Financial insecurity remains a daily reality for many households. Housing affordability continues to strain family budgets. Educational barriers affect students and families working toward long-term success. Stable employment with wages that support a household remains difficult to find for many Detroiters. The district continues to carry the weight of these longstanding challenges.
Publicly available data has not shown sustained district-wide improvements in household income, poverty, employment, housing stability, or educational attainment during Thanedar’s time in Congress. Those indicators remain important because they tell the story of whether families are gaining ground economically. They reflect the lived experience of residents across neighborhoods instead of just the a checkbox list of the completion of individual projects.
Detroit deserves leadership that keeps its focus on creating lasting economic opportunity. Residents deserve a representative who understands that every policy decision should lead to stronger neighborhoods, greater financial security, and better opportunities for the next generation.
Donavan McKinney has spent his career working toward those goals. His record reflects a commitment to public education, organized labor, environmental justice, neighborhood investment, and economic mobility. His life story gives him first-hand insight into the obstacles facing many of the families he hopes to represent. His work demonstrates a continued commitment to addressing those challenges through public service.
Elected officials often highlight dollars secured as proof of effective representation. But residents frequently ask a more practical question: Has life become more secure under a particular leader’s watch? That question is answered by measurable improvements in financial stability, opportunity, and quality of life. Those outcomes remain the clearest standard by which public leadership is ultimately judged, and Thanedar hasn’t shown that he can politic his way to better outcomes for his constituents.
Black Detroiters deserve leadership that sees their potential, understands their struggles, and remains committed to expanding opportunity in every neighborhood, and this election offers voters the chance to choose that future.
For those reasons, the Michigan Chronicle proudly endorses Donavan McKinney for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. We believe he has the experience, the vision, and the commitment to help move Detroit forward and to deliver the kind of leadership this community has earned.
