Shri Thanedar

Shrinivas Prasad Thanedar (born February 22, 1955) is an American businessman, author, and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 13th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Thanedar served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. He was also a candidate in the Democratic primary for Governor of Michigan in the 2018 election. First elected to Congress in 2022, then again in 2024, Thanedar lost renomination in 2026 in the Democratic primary to democratic socialist Donavan McKinney.

Early life and education Shrinivas Prasad Thanedar was born on February 22, 1955 in Chikkodi, Mysore State, India, in a Marathi family. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Karnatak University and then attended a master's program at the University of Mumbai.

He moved to the U.S. in 1979 to pursue a PhD at the University of Akron, which he completed in 1982. Thanedar did post-doctoral work at the University of Michigan.

Business career In 1984, Thanedar started working at Petrolite in St. Louis. One acquisition, Azopharma, grew rapidly from $1 million in 2003 to $55 million in 2008. Thanedar's group of companies employed 500 people in 2008. He built a mansion in Ladue, Missouri with an in-home theater to accommodate 150 people.

In 2007, Thanedar was offered $132 million to sell Azopharma. According to later reports, employees climbed the fences to care for the animals until animal welfare organizations gained legal access and facilitated the adoption of all animals in the facility. Thanedar denied that any animals were abandoned.

Chemir remained profitable throughout the legal proceedings and was sold on March 31, 2011, for $23 million. That sale plus the combined assets in the firm covered Thanedar's debt to Bank of America. Avomeen was named to the INC 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. companies in 2015 (#673) and 2016 (#1365). In 2016, Thanedar sold a majority stake in the business to private equity firm High Street Capital, netting him $20 million personally. He shared $1.5 million of the proceeds with his 50 employees.

Thanedar was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Central Midwest Region (Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska) in 1999, 2007, and 2016. He maintains 40% ownership of Avomeen. Thanedar denies the allegations, saying that revenues "are anticipated to significantly exceed" those of past periods. US District Judge Gershwin A. Drain dismissed the case in August 2019, citing a notice from Thanedar and Avomeen Holdings LLC that they had reached an agreement to resolve the matter out of court.

Early political career

Thanedar entered politics when he ran in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial election as a Democrat.

2018 gubernatorial campaign

On April 5, 2017, Thanedar submitted paperwork to raise funds for a potential gubernatorial campaign in Michigan. On June 8, he officially announced his candidacy for governor of Michigan in the 2018 Democratic primary. Thanedar contributed between $10.3 million of his own money to his campaign. Early polling in 2017 showed him in last place at 2% to 3%. After running a statewide Super Bowl ad in February 2018, he quickly became the best-known Democratic candidate for governor. Thanedar lead in statewide Democratic polls in March (21% to 18%) and April (30% to 26%) versus Gretchen Whitmer, the presumptive Democratic front-runner.

As Thanedar's campaign gained public traction in early 2018, reporters at The Intercept and HuffPost began investigating Thanedar's history.

Thanedar self-funded his campaign with nearly $10.6 million, which was more than the total amount raised by every other Democratic or Republican in the primary elections, and nearly a third of the amount raised by all candidates combined.

2020 Michigan House of Representatives campaign In August 2019, Thanedar submitted paperwork to run for state representative in Michigan's 3rd district, a portion of the upper east side of Detroit. On August 4, 2020, he won the Democratic primary for the seat. On November 3, 2020, Thanedar was elected to the state house. He assumed office on January 1, 2021.

U.S. House of Representatives

Political positions Healthcare

Thanedar has stated he believes healthcare is a human right and supports Medicare for All. He is a cosponsor of HR 3069, the Medicare for All Act. As someone who lost his first wife to mental illness, Congressman Thanedar has been a proponent of various mental health initiatives. He worked on legislation to designate September 8 as "988" day in order to promote the 988 suicide and crisis hotline , worked on a bill to allow Medicaid to provide financial assistance to patients in a mental health facility , and a bill to allow service members to keep their mental health provider when their care is transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Citing the Iran war, as well as tariffs, Thanedar sent a letter to President Trump's cabinet, requesting they invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the President.

Animal Rights

In Congress, Thanedar has been a proponent of animal rights. He received a score of 100% from Humane Society and received their legislative leader award. He introduced HR 4422, the Don't Feed the Bears Act, to ban bear baiting. During the 2026 Farm Bill markup, Congressman Thanedar spoke in favor of removing provisions that made it harder for the USDA to protect dogs in puppy mills.

Thanedar also introduced an amendment based on the FIGHT Act during the markup, which would ban online gambling on animal fights, allow courts to seize fighting pit bulls and other property used by convicted animal fighters in the commission of their crimes, stop the shipment of fighting roosters through the mail, and allow advocates to bring civil suits against cockfighters and dogfighters. The amendment faced opposition from Republican Ag committee chair, Representative Glenn Thompson. However, a provision of the FIGHT Act survived, which banned in person and online gambling on animal fights.

Israel Thanedar previously co-sponsored a resolution to halt aid to Israel, describing it as an apartheid state, in the Michigan House of Representatives. The next year, he faced opposition from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in his run for the US House. In August 2023, he traveled to Israel with the American Israel Education Foundation, an AIPAC affiliate. On return, he described the relationship between Israel and the United States as mutually beneficial. AIPAC heavily funded Thanedar during the 2026 primary campaign in Michigan.

On October 11, 2023, the Detroit Free Press reported that Thanedar had "renounced his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), saying it hasn't adequately denounced Hamas for its 'brutal terrorist attacks' on Israel last weekend." This came after the Detroit chapter of the DSA had already moved to expel Thanedar after he escorted Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, whose premiership a chapter spokesperson called "far right, violent, [and] Islamophobic", on a state visit to the US.

In his 2024 primary election, the pro-Israel super political action committee called Blue Wave Action, linked to AIPAC, formed and quickly spent nearly $2.3 million on television ads and mail advertisements attacking his election opponent, who was a vocal critic of the ongoing Gaza war.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) In August 2025, Thanedar introduced the Ending Qualified immunity for ICE Agents Act (H.R. 4944) , saying "If an ICE agent violates the law, it only makes sense they are held accountable just like civilians". In January 2026, Thanedar introduced the Abolish ICE Act (H.R. 7123). The legislation proposes dismantling ICE and ending its enforcement authority. His office announced the bill on January 9, 2026 and it was officially introduced in the House on January 15, 2026. The bill was proposed shortly after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026 in Minneapolis. Thanedar described ICE as "beyond reform".

In March 2026, Thanedar opposed a planned ICE facility in his district in Romulus. Thanedar lead a townhall and protest against the proposed ICE facility in his district. Ultimately, the Department of Homeland Security scrapped its plans, and decided to sell the facility.

Articles of impeachment On April 29, 2025, Thanedar filed multiple articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Charges include usurpation of Congress's appropriation powers, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, bribery, and corruption. These articles of impeachment did not receive party-wide support, faced intra party backlash, and notably lacked approval from party leadership. On May 14, 2025, Thanedar cancelled a vote on his bill after pressure from other Democrats.

The articles of impeachment were strongly criticized by Democrats as a "rogue" attempt to blindside and mislead the party, and was seen as a "selfish" way to strengthen his position in the competitive primary he would be facing in 2026 against Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney who had announced his campaign on the same day. It was also opposed by Democrats who had previously led the first and second impeachment of Donald Trump in his first term. Some saw it as a publicity stunt.

On December 4, 2025, Thanedar introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for murder and conspiracy to murder, and for reckless and mishandling of classified information. Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said it is almost impossible for these articles to see the House floor.

Elections 2022

In 2022, Thanedar gave up his state house seat and moved from Ann Arbor to the Palmer Woods neighborhood to run for Michigan's 13th congressional district. The incumbent, Rashida Tlaib, had her home drawn into the 12th district and was reelected there. Thanedar contributed $5.17 million of his own money to the campaign. Thanedar won the open primary, defeating state senator Adam Hollier and others with 28.3% of the vote. He defeated Republican nominee Martell Bivings and two third-party candidates in the November 8 general election with 71.1% of the vote.

2024

Thanedar faced Mary D. Waters, a member of the Detroit City Council, and Shakira Hawkins, a former employee of the city of Detroit, in the Democratic primary. Both Waters and Hawkins argued that the district needed Black representation, given the area's demographics. Thanedar was renominated with 54.9% of the vote. In the general election, he won reelection in a rematch against Bivings and three third-party candidates, this time with 68.6% of the vote.

2026

Thanedar was challenged in the 2026 Democratic primary by Donavan McKinney, state representative from the 11th district. Thanedar was endorsed by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Chair Pete Aguilar. Other endorsements included Planned Parenthood, 314 Action, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Animal Wellness Action. However, McKinney was backed by local politicians and organizations such as congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, former congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, the Metro Detroit chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, and over a dozen state legislators. On August 4, McKinney defeated Thanedar in the Democratic primary, 51.9%–48.1%.

Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development

Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability

Caucuses Thanedar is a member of the following caucuses:

Black Maternal Health Caucus Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Climate Solutions Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus Congressional Equality Caucus New Democrat Coalition

Early in his House tenure, Thanedar attempted to join the Congressional Black Caucus. Thanedar stated the caucus "is a statement of commitment to stand against religious discrimination, to propel the wheels of inclusion, and to cultivate a nation where diversity is not only tolerated, but celebrated". South Asian advocacy groups, including Hindus for Human Rights, Sikh Coalition, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Emgage, and Indian American Muslim Council, put out a joint statement voicing concern on the lack of "perspectives of the entire South Asian community across faith, caste and ethnic lines." The groups collectively argued that due to lack of broader inclusivity, the Dharma caucus could work against the ability to "provide meaningful oversight of the US-India relationship, ongoing work to protect the civil rights and safety of Sikhs and other marginalized groups, and efforts to ban caste discrimination at a federal level." Thanedar claimed that the bank was in charge of taking care of the animals.

An FDA report was later released confirming the presence of the undeclared ingredient and warning against using the supplement because it "may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels." Later that year the FDA conducted its own chemical analysis and issued a warning to the supplement's parent company that it contained the undeclared ingredient and therefore must be treated as prescription medication.

Thanedar "denied any memory of the herbal supplement or customer in question," Thanedar denied the accusations, Political reputation In 2023 HuffPost reported that in Thanedar's first year in Congress, he "has gained a reputation for vanity in an institution powered by the stuff, burning through staff at a rapid clip, alienating his fellow members and spending taxpayer funds on what some people with knowledge of his office view as naked self-promotion." and $5.3 million in 2024 ) has helped insulate him from the criticism he has received from political peers in Michigan, including from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, former State Senator Adam Hollier,

Toxic work environment Former staffers said Thanedar's congressional office is a toxic work environment, leading to understaffing and high staff turnover. In his first year in Congress, Thanedar went through three different chiefs of staff, and the office only had six or seven permanent staff instead of the more typical 15-18 staffers for a House lawmaker. Thanedar spent 38% of his House budget in that first year on staff pay, while the average House member spent 78%. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents the neighboring district, has publicly criticized Thanedar multiple times because his constituents contact her office when they cannot get support from Thanedar, saying "he isn't putting in the work of a public servant and is leaving his working-class communities across his district with no real advocate." Thanedar relies on interns to take on the work of more experienced and higher paid staffers. A former staffer also described being fired in the presence of an intern, an experience they found demoralizing and also emblematic of what it was like working for him.

In 1999, Thanedar married his current wife, Shashi.

In 2024, Thanedar produced, funded, and acted in a short film, Dear Pra, recounting Shamal's secret struggle with depression, in a bid to raise awareness about mental health issues and to tackle the stigma and shame that was "certainly prevalent in South Asian communities".

Autobiographies Thanedar has written two autobiographies. ही 'श्री' ची इच्छा! (Transliteration: Hī Śrī Cī Icchā; English: This is Shri's Wish) is an autobiography in Marathi, published in 2004. In 2008, Thanedar self-published his memoirs in English, The Blue Suitcase: Tragedy and Triumph in an Immigrant's Life.