DETROIT – Democrat Rashida Tlaib has won the 13th District race for U.S. House, a seat formerly held by Rep. John Conyers Jr.
Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat, will be the first Muslim woman to serve in Congress. Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, a Detroit native, became the first Muslim elected to the chamber in 2007 and, along with Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana, is one of two Muslims currently serving in the U.S. House.
Tlaib, who served in the Michigan House from 2009 until 2014, defeated five other candidates in the August primary election to win the nomination to run for a full term representing the heavily Democratic district, which covers much of Detroit and some of its suburbs.
Since leaving the Legislature, Tlaib has worked as an attorney for the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice. Her views align with the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party. She has said she’ll push for universal Medicare, a $15 minimum wage, sustainable environmental policies, public school funding and fair immigration policies.