A Republican candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District will now face off against incumbent Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet — except the Republican nominee dropped out in July.
Tom Smith is a Flint man who entered Michigan’s Republican primary race for the tri-city district in mid-May. On July 16, he dropped out of the race. On Tuesday, he won the primary, beating challengers Amir Hassan, whom President Donald Trump endorsed, and Al Lemmo.
The win is novel since candidates who suspend their campaigns don’t typically secure enough votes to advance. But Smith did, leaving onlookers wondering about what comes next.
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“Imagine converting from your old religion to a new one to win Trump supporters, only to lose to a guy who dropped out weeks prior but wins because he’s still named ‘Thomas J. Smith’,” wrote Zack Guzmán on X. “Toouuugghhhhh dayyyyyyy.”
Armand Domalewski, an X user and podcast host, questioned if Smith knew he won the race. Neither the candidate nor his campaign responded to Straight Arrow’s request for comment. Smith’s Facebook campaign page hasn’t posted content since July 15 — a day before he dropped out.
The post centered on a campaign event in Pinconning.
The Flint man wrote in a July 12 letter to the FEC that his campaign raised $1,850. Four days later, he dropped out of the race and endorsed Lemmo, according to a video on Lemmo’s campaign website.
“This is to notify you that ‘Tom Smith for Congress’ was a late entry into the race for Michigan’s 8th congressional district and has raised only $1,850 (through June 30),” Smith wrote. “We therefore per your e-mail to us on 7/9, will not file a report until the next deadline for filing.”
If a special election were needed, that would be administered by Michigan’s Secretary of State. The agency didn’t immediately respond to Straight Arrow’s request for comment.
Who is Tom Smith?
According to his campaign page, Smith moved to Flint from Wisconsin at a young age and worked at a Buick assembly plant in the city.
Following retirement from General Motors, he created Jar Head Salsa with his son Dave. The brand is sold mainly in farmers’ markets across Michigan.
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