Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) easily dispatched a handful of centrist primary challengers on Tuesday after prominent left-wing figures backing her traveled to Michigan in an attempt to prevent an upset in the race.
The Detroit-area lawmaker triumphed over three rivals in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, including Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, Lathrup Valley Mayor Kelly Garrett, and former state Rep. Shanelle Jackson. Winfrey had received the endorsement of Pro-Israel America, a lobbying group associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Tlaib, first elected to represent a Detroit-based House district in 2018 and a member of the hard-left “Squad,” has been a foe of many Democrats and an easy foil for Republicans as a result of her outspoken left-wing political positions. Many of Tlaib’s views have drawn intense criticism from members of her own party, including her support for abolishing police and prisons, as well as her endorsement of the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.
In the weeks leading up to the Aug. 2 primary, high-profile allies of Tlaib traveled to Michigan to shore up Democratic support for the polarizing lawmaker. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), all fellow Squad members, rallied at a local high school alongside Tlaib last month. And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) hosted a get-out-the-vote rally for Tlaib and Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) late last week. Levin was embroiled in a member vs. member primary against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI).
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This is not the first time that Tlaib has prevailed over a centrist primary rival. In 2020, Tlaib faced a spirited primary challenge from then-Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, who was backed by a handful of influential figures in Detroit politics. But Tlaib prevailed by a wide margin, garnering nearly two-thirds of the vote against Jones.
Tlaib is expected to secure another term in Congress easily. The overwhelmingly Democratic 12th District was redrawn during the decennial redistricting cycle to encompass parts of Detroit and western Wayne County.
