Palestinian American Rashida Tlaib Wins Primary to Become Democratic Candidate for State Legislature

posted on: Aug 6, 2008

Rashida Tlaib was elected to be the democratic candidate to represent Michigan’s 12th District in yesterday’s primary elections.

Having served most recently as a senior policy analyst for Michigan House Floor Leader, Steve Tobocman, and before that as advocacy coordinator for ACCESS, and as a legal caseworker at the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, Tlaib has worked very closely with the Latino and African American communities of southwest Detroit, whom she is now elected to represent.

Tlaib’s passion and commitment to advocate for public policies that improve the quality of life for families in need of better access to human services, education, immigrant and civil rights is what helped her through the competitive race.

Tlaib was raised in Southwest Detroit, the oldest child of immigrants, who taught her the importance of hard work, honesty, and commitment to community. She attended Harms, Bennett Elementary and Phoenix Academy, and became the first in her family to graduate from high school (Southwestern ‘94). Despite growing up poor and having to care for her 13 younger siblings, Rashida persevered and worked hard to earn her B.A. in Political Science from Wayne State University (1998). She even went on to earn a law degree, while working full-time and attending weekend classes at Thomas Cooley Law School (2004).