Shri Thanedar

Shri Thanedar is an Indian-American businessman, scientist, and politician who has represented Michigan's 13th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023. Born in Belgaum, India, in 1955, he grew up in poverty before immigrating to the United States in 1979 to pursue higher education. Thanedar earned a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry from the University of Akron in 1982 and later an MBA from Fontbonne University in 1988, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen that same year. Before entering public service, Thanedar had a successful career as an entrepreneur in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, founding and leading companies such as Chemir Analytical Services and Avomeen Analytical Services, which earned him multiple Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. His political career began with a 2018 bid for Governor of Michigan, followed by his election to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2020, where he served on the Appropriations Committee and helped secure significant increases in per-pupil school funding. As a member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the U.S. Congress in November 2022 and currently serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Small Business.

Thanedar's policy positions generally align with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He is a proponent of universal healthcare through a Medicare-for-All system and supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour to aid working families. Regarding immigration, he advocates for comprehensive reform that includes faster visa processing, the elimination of per-country green card quotas, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. In the realm of foreign policy, he emphasizes a strong strategic partnership between the United States and India and has maintained a pro-Israel stance, which notably led him to renounce his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America in 2023. He also supports significant investments in public education, environmental protections through the transition to clean energy, and initiatives to bolster small business growth in urban communities.