The Democratic Congresswoman from Michigan faces a tough primary Tuesday against former Rep. Brenda Jones, the Hill reports.
What We Know:
- Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib hit the national spotlight when she joined “The Squad,” a group of four progressive Congresswomen including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN). She also gained prominence after calling for President Trump’s impeachment following her swearing in.
- Tlaib will face a tough primary Tuesday against Detroit City Councilwoman Brenda Jones who narrowly lost to Tlaib in the special election to fill John Conyers Jr.’s seat in 2018 following his resignation due to sexual misconduct allegations.
- Adrian Hemond, a Michigan Democratic strategist believes Jones’ race could benefit her in Tuesday’s primary. “It’s the Conyers district. Notwithstanding how his career ended, the man’s a civil rights hero. That’s certainly an advantage for Brenda Jones in this race. It’s a majority African American city. It’s a majority African American congressional district, and to the extent that those voters are interested in symbolic representation, that’s not Rep. Tlaib.”
- Tlaib currently has a significant lead over Jones in the polls, 52% to Jones’ 24%, with 23% saying they were undecided. Tlaib has also out-raised Jones, with a total of $2.9 million compared to Jones’ $140,000.
- With that said, Jones was outspent by Tlaib in the special election two years ago and still narrowly defeated her. “We certainly don’t have the same kind of dollars to match Ms. Tlaib’s bankroll,” said Marvin Beatty, a member of Jones’s campaign leadership team. “But our dollars come from the community, from southeast Michigan.”
- In addition, Jones has racked in important endorsements from key Detroit figures, including Second Ebenezer Church’s Bishop Edgar Vann.
- Tlaib has also garnered support from key Democrats including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
- “Rashida Tlaib is seen as a hero in Michigan and nationally,” stated Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Committee which has endorsed Tlaib. “That means her voters are immensely enthusiastic, which is the ballgame in this vote-by-mail world and pandemic era when people are struggling and have many other things going on in their lives.”
The tight race comes as primary voting around the country has taken new shape due to the effects of COVID-19. “Now Tlaib has been in office for two years, and she’s got an established organization and the fundraising to do the kinds of things you need to do to get your voters to file absentee ballots,” public policy lecturer at the University of Michigan Jonathan Hanson noted.
