By: Jasmine West
Justin Onwenu will carry the Democratic nomination into November after defeating former state Rep. Abraham Aiyash in the closely watched primary for Michigan’s 1st State Senate District.
Onwenu received 18,921 votes, or 59%, compared with 13,312 votes, or 41%, for Aiyash, according to unofficial results with all 134 precincts reporting.
“It’s a real honor,” he said. “We placed a tremendous amount of faith in voters and residents in Detroit and Downriver. You really get to know what every single resident is thinking about and what’s on people’s minds.”
The victory places Onwenu one election away from representing a newly drawn district that includes portions of Detroit and the Downriver communities of Ecorse, Lincoln Park, River Rouge and Wyandotte. He will face Republican Patrick O’Connell in the Nov. 3 general election.
The district heavily favors Democrats, making Onwenu the clear front-runner heading into November. The Detroit Regional Chamber’s analysis of the new boundaries rated the district 84.3% Democratic based on past election results.
Onwenu, an attorney, organizer and former City of Detroit director of entrepreneurship and economic opportunity, built his campaign around affordability, voting rights, neighborhood investment and protecting Detroit’s representation in Lansing.
His victory also strengthens the possibility that Detroit will retain Black representation in the Michigan Senate. Before the results were known Tuesday night, Onwenu told the Michigan Chronicle that the city was in danger of entering the next legislative term without a Black state senator.
“Representation is important, not just because representation matters, but because we have been ill-prepared to pass the Michigan Voting Rights Act, to actually tackle this affordability and jobs crisis that we’re facing and to make sure that all of our communities and neighborhoods get investment,” Onwenu said.
Onwenu entered Election Day with the support of Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, Downriver mayors, labor unions, environmental organizations and several Detroit elected officials. The Michigan Chronicle also endorsed his candidacy.
He credited the result to a campaign operation that reached residents across the district rather than relying solely on endorsements or online attention.
“We’ve been present in our neighborhoods in every single part of our district, Detroit and Downriver,” Onwenu said. “We’ve knocked over 55,000 doors, and that doesn’t happen if you’re not focused on the issues that matter to people.”
He said voters consistently raised concerns about rising household expenses, civil and voting rights and whether investment reaches every neighborhood.
“At a time when Detroit is in danger of having zero Black state senators, I think folks want to see Black leadership that’s prepared, that’s been rooted in our communities and that has a record of delivering.”
His win represents more than a defeat of a former legislative leader. It shows the strength of a Detroit-centered coalition that joined Black political organizations, city officials, Downriver mayors, unions and environmental advocates behind one candidate.
Onwenu said affordability was the most urgent concern he heard from residents during the campaign.
“I think everything is about affordability,” he said. “Whether it’s groceries, whether it’s gasoline, it’s affordability.”
He also identified the protection of civil and voting rights as a central responsibility for Michigan lawmakers during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Onwenu told the Michigan Chronicle that passing a Michigan Voting Rights Act would be among his first legislative priorities if elected to the Senate.
The proposed protections have taken on greater urgency as voting access, election administration and federal civil rights enforcement face renewed political pressure. Onwenu said Detroit needs a senator prepared to turn representation into policy, rather than treating the presence of Black lawmakers as merely symbolic.
As Tuesday’s results became clear, the trust Onwenu spoke about before the polls closed had translated into a decisive victory.
Onwenu must now carry that coalition into November and prove that the campaign responsible for knocking on more than 55,000 doors can deliver again in the general election.
