Detroit-Downriver State Senate Primary Race Takes Shape

December 10, 2025

A Democratic primary race for Michigan's newly created 1st State Senate district is taking shape between Justin Onwenu and Abraham Aiyash ahead of the August 2026 primary election. Onwenu, Detroit's first entrepreneurship director, has secured endorsements from Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and over 30 political leaders, while positioning himself as a coalition-builder focused on jobs and neighborhoods. Aiyash, formerly the highest-ranking Arab American official in the state legislature, is running as a progressive who rejects corporate PAC money and points to recent Democratic Socialist victories on Detroit City Council as evidence of voter preferences.

Who is affected

Democratic voters in Detroit and Downriver communities (Ecorse, Lincoln Park, River Rouge, and Wyandotte)
Justin Onwenu and Abraham Aiyash (the candidates)
Current state Senator Erika Geiss, who represents parts of the new district
Detroit startups and small businesses served by Onwenu's programs
Arab American and Black communities in the district
Wayne County residents

What action is being taken

Justin Onwenu is advocating for greater environmental protections and working to improve access to capital for Detroit startups and small businesses through the Detroit Startup Fund, Detroit Legacy Business Project, and Detroit Capital Hub. Onwenu is also teaching labor law at Detroit Mercy School of Law. Abraham Aiyash has spent time helping elect Democrats focused on making life more affordable.

Why it matters

This race represents an ideological test within the Democratic Party between establishment coalition-building and progressive grassroots activism at a time when Democrats are reassessing their strategies after poor performance in 2024 elections. The outcome will determine representation for a newly redistricted area and could impact Black male representation in the Michigan Senate, which has been absent since 2022. The contest also reflects ongoing debates about corporate influence in politics, progressive economic policies, and how Democrats engage with diverse communities including Arab American and Black voters.

What's next

Onwenu and Aiyash are expected to face off in the August primary election, with the general election scheduled for November 2026.

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle