Ex-State Senator Adam Hollier Ends Bid For Congress, Joins Race For Michigan Secretary Of State

Michigan Advance

September 10, 2025

Former state Sen. Adam Hollier has long eyed a seat in Congress, but on Wednesday, the Michigan Democrat officially ended his bid for a Detroit-based congressional district and pivoted to a run at secretary of state.

Hollier now joins Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and Aghogho Edevbie, Michigan’s deputy secretary of state under Jocelyn Benson, in the battle for the party’s nomination in August.

As a former U.S. Army paratrooper who served as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s director of the Veterans Affairs Agency in 2023, Hollier said he’s ready for the next mission.

“Our fundamental rights are under attack like never before. Donald Trump and his MAGA allies have put everything from free and fair elections to the right to vote on the chopping block” Hollier said in a statement. “As a U.S. Army Paratrooper, I’m trained to go where the challenge is greatest. As your Secretary of State, I will lead the fight against any assaults on our fundamental freedoms, and will never back down in the face of these undemocratic and unconstitutional attacks.”

A cornerstone of his new campaign would be a push to stop Republicans from rigging state and federal elections and silencing the voices of Michigan voters. He also pledged to remove barriers at the ballot box, boost turnout and make it easier to vote and cast a ballot early.

Hollier said he would invest in local clerks, giving them the resources they need to conduct fair and efficient elections.

One consideration for Hollier was whether to enter a leaner race with only two declared candidates, as opposed to the crowded potential field in the 13th Congressional District race. U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar currently represents the district, which is primarily seated in Detroit.

Hollier was one of 10 candidates in the Democratic primary for the seat in 2022, which led to Thanedar beating a slate of Black candidates, including Hollier, with just 28% of the vote. The race and Thaendar’s election has been criticized in Michigan because the packed ballot ended up working against Black candidates who may have had a better chance at getting elected with a smaller primary field.

The Democratic primary for the seat in Detroit is viewed as the race to win, as Democrats are typically elected in the general election against whoever the Republicans put up as a candidate.

Hollier, in a news release announcing his bid for secretary of state, specifically cited his wish to ensure that the majority Black Detroit elects a Black member of Congress in the next round. Thanedar is again seeking reelection, and minus Hollier, already is facing three candidates in the Democratic primary – including state Rep. Donavan McKinney of Detroit.

Hollier’s announcement Wednesday also came with a long list of day-one supporters, including Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, state representatives Joe Tate of Detroit and Peter Herzberg of Westland, and more than 30 local officials, former electeds and faith leaders.

The Michigan Advance, a hard-hitting, nonprofit news site, covers politics and policy across the state of Michigan through in-depth stories, blog posts, and social media updates, as well as top-notch progressive commentary. The Advance is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.