A House Candidate Who Dropped Out Beats Trump’s Pick in Michigan

Amir Hassan lost by double-digit percentage points to Thomas J. Smith, who accepted the nomination despite dropping out of the race last month.

Amir Hassan

President Donald Trump listens as Republican congressional candidate Amir Hassan speaks at an event at the General Motors Proving Ground in Michigan. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

A Michigan Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump lost his primary election to a candidate who dropped out of the race but remained on the ballot, the Associated Press projected Wednesday.

Amir Hassan, a former federal law enforcement officer from Flint, Michigan, trailed retired engineer Thomas J. Smith by about 17 percentage points. Smith suspended his campaign to represent Michigan’s 8th Congressional District in July.

The pair were vying to flip the seat held by Democratic incumbent Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet.