MACKINAC ISLAND, Michigan — Amir Hassan, a Republican running for the House in one of Michigan’s most competitive districts, is emphasizing his Flint roots as he attempts to build upon the inroads President Donald Trump made with black voters in 2024.
In an interview, Hassan said Republicans failed to “change some minds and votes” last year in Genesee County, a Democratic enclave anchored to the majority-black city of Flint.
Trump improved on his 2020 performance there by 5 points, mirroring a national overperformance at the top of the ticket, but Republicans struggled to capitalize on that shift down-ballot in Michigan’s Eighth District, which encompasses Flint and the surrounding “Tri-City” area.
“I’m uniquely equipped to have the conversation in a different way, because I’m actually from here, born and raised. I’m a product of this district. I’m a product of Genesee County,” Hassan said.
Hassan, who calls himself an “America First patriot,” views Trump Republicans as his base of support and has closely aligned himself with the president’s agenda, but he also believes he can capture a segment of Genesee residents who split the ticket last year, voting simultaneously for Trump and Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), a Democrat.
Trump ultimately won the Eighth Congressional District by 2 points, shrinking his losing margin in Genesee and erasing it in Saginaw, another swing county.
“If I maintain the numbers and get close to that, we have a very great chance of flipping the seat, and that’s the goal,” Hassan said.
Having a strong base of support in Genesee helped keep the area in the hands of the Kildee family, based in Flint, since the 1970s, with former Rep. Dan Kildee finally relinquishing the seat in 2024.
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McDonald Rivet took his place with a commanding 7-point victory in November, making the Eighth one of just 13 Trump-won districts that Republicans lost down-ballot last year. And Democrats believe she can outperform again, highlighting her work passing tax cuts while serving in the state Senate.
But Hassan, 39, believes Rivet, 55, is vulnerable with the right message. He identified younger black voters, particularly men, as receptive to Trump and plans to make an economic case for their vote as the president did in November.
Instead of “American carnage,” Hassan is emphasizing the “decimation” of Flint, which has lost more than half its population since its heyday as a hub for the automotive boom, and is blaming the city’s Democratic leaders for the forces of globalization that accelerated the outflow of jobs plaguing its residents.
“They have no return on investment,” Hassan said. “It’s been nothing but downhill, and President Trump is the first president of my lifetime that directly speaks to that without having to change his message just because of the demographic of people that live there. It’s Americans that live there.”
Hassan, a Navy veteran and former federal law enforcement officer, is one of dozens of Republicans descending on Mackinac Island this weekend for a biannual retreat geared toward getting the state party on the same page electorally.
Republicans have a rare chance to reclaim control of Michigan politics, with all of the statewide Democrats, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, term-limited. Critically, Michigan is also home to three of the most closely watched House races in the country, including McDonald Rivet’s.
The two others are currently represented by Republicans, though Rep. John James (R-MI) in Michigan’s 10th District is retiring to run for governor.
Hassan is so far the only Republican who has stepped forward to challenge McDonald Rivet, and party operatives are encouraged by his profile as a candidate. Hassan served at Guantanamo Bay as a watch commander and then in various law enforcement roles, including a stint as part of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s protective detail.
“He has built a strong team around him and continues to do all the right things in the early stages of his campaign,” said one GOP operative involved in Michigan House races, speaking on condition of anonymity.
House primaries will not be held until next August, however, meaning there is still time for other candidates to join the field. Last cycle, three Republicans competed for the GOP nomination.
Already, Democrats are preparing to undermine Hassan’s ties to the Eighth District should he become the eventual nominee, arguing he left years ago and is only returning for political advantage.
Hassan would also have to face the same political headwinds that make 2026 a challenging year for Republicans nationally. The economy remains relatively stable, despite the uncertainty driven by Trump’s tariffs, but the party in power typically loses seats in a midterm election cycle, and Democrats have made the Medicaid cuts in Trump’s tax law the centerpiece of their messaging.
“While Republicans are raising costs, killing jobs, and taking health care away from working families, Kristen gets results and Michigan voters will send her back to Congress to keep fighting for them,” Katie Smith, spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
The case against McDonald Rivet will be that she’s part of the “status quo,” with Hassan painting her as a rubber stamp for her party and a continuation of the Kildee dynasty.
“She’s pushing whatever the party says, that’s what she’s pushing,” Hassan said. “It’s harmful. It’s more of the same. We’re ready for a change.”
As a candidate, Hassan’s emphasis has been on law enforcement. He has a “no tax on first responders” proposal that mimics the provisions crafted for Trump’s tax law and a “Bill of Rights” for police and federal officers.
He wants to maximize the privacy of law enforcement on the internet, a GOP concern amplified as immigration officers began wearing face masks to shield their identities. Hassan also mentioned changing the law to allow police to bring their government-issued weapons across state lines, whether the jurisdiction has a carry law or not.
“It’s a thankless job. It’s a dangerous job. However, it’s not personal. You’re doing what you were tasked to do. And in this case, we’re cleaning up America, and they should not be targeted by anybody, and so we have to protect them,” Hassan said.
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His message to black voters is that Democrats are taking their votes for granted, echoing the “what do you have to lose” message that Trump delivered on the campaign trail. In Michigan, exit polls show that Trump improved his support by 4 points, while his margins shifted by double digits in states like Wisconsin.
“He broke through. We see it nationwide, he broke through,” Hassan said. “But in the district, I think people are tired, especially the black male demographic — he’s making great strides, and they’re just fed up with being told what to think and how to think.”
