Incumbent Democratic state Rep. Helena Scott, 66, of Detroit, just lost her primary to 26-year-old Democratic Socialist Chris Gilmer-Hill in the Detroit-based 8th House District. She was the only incumbent to lose, and she did so with an amazingly tone-deaf display by sabotaging her own re-election.
Local journalist Sam Robinson wrote a few weeks ago, “State Rep. Helena Scott yesterday told me that, “if Abdul wins, we’re fucked. She wouldn’t commit to supporting him if he makes it to the general election, which she says he can’t win.”
Famous last words.
Source: Detroit News
Incumbent Democratic state Rep. Helena Scott of Detroit lost her primary run against Democratic Socialist Chris Gilmer-Hill in the Detroit-based 8th House District.
Complete results out of Oakland County and Wayne County showed Gilmer-Hill won by roughly 6 points, taking about 49% of the vote to Scott’s 43%.
Scott, the former chairwoman for the House Energy Committee, appears to be the only incumbent state lawmaker to have lost re-election.
Gilmer-Hill, who’s been the policy manager for the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, has been endorsed by Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America.
In a statement late Tuesday, Gilmer-Hill said his win should come as no surprise to people who understand how “sick and tired” residents are with Democratic leadership that “falls in line with corporations like DTE instead of the people.
“My race proves that the message of socialism wins against incumbents and entrenched interests, and this primary is just the first of many instances of that to come,” Gilmer-Hill said.
Scott beat Gilmer-Hill by almost 44 percentage points in 2024, when he was her only Democratic primary opponent. On Tuesday, four Democrats competed for the nomination. She won her general election in 2024 by 78 percentage points.
DSA member, 26-year-old Chris Gilmer-Hill has declared victory over incumbent state Rep. Helena Scott in Michigan’s 8th House District (Detroit/Ferndale/Pleasant Ridge). Scott, 66, came in third in her City Council race last year. https://t.co/lGKdZdL7uo
— Sam Robinson (@samueljrob) August 5, 2026
Michigan State Rep. Helena Scott Won’t Commit to Voting for Progressive El-Sayed if He Wins Senate Nomination: “If Abdul Wins, We’re F*cked” pic.twitter.com/XJmRc1119u
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) July 25, 2026