Rep. Rashida Tlaib easily holds off moderate primary challenger

(Image credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

published 5 August 2020

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) had no trouble fending off a challenge from the center in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

Tlaib was thought to be the most vulnerable member of the progressive "Squad," but any fears of a moderate upset were squashed when the results came in Wednesday. Tlaib carried 66.1 percent of the vote to Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones' 33.9 percent with 442 or 492 precincts reporting, and the race was called in Tlaib's favor, per The New York Times.

Tlaib only beat Jones by about 900 votes in 2018, after Jones was nominated to fill the seat vacated when Rep. John Conyers (D) resigned amid sexual harassment claims. She was among several progressives who ousted more moderate Democrats, and quickly joined forces with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.). Tlaib raised eyebrows as she promised to "impeach the motherf---er," referring to President Trump, just days after being sworn in, but Democrats in Tlaib's district were clearly not disturbed, as Ocasio-Cortez noted.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox