The Guardian :
Former Michigan state lawmaker Rashida Tlaib is set to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress after winning the Democratic primary on Tuesday for a House seat in the state.
Tlaib will run unopposed in the general election in November, with no Republicans on the ballot in the overwhelmingly
Democratic district in and around Detroit. The key election takeaways: a Democratic surge and big wins for women Tlaib is set to replace John Conyers, the longtime congressman who stepped down in December amid accusations he sexually harassed former staffers.
“Thank you so much for making this unbelievable moment possible,” Tlaib said on Twitter early on Wednesday morning. “I am at a loss for words. I cannot wait to serve you in Congress.”
Tlaib, 42, is a Detroit native. She is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and the oldest of fourteen children.
She served in the Michigan state house from 2009 to 2014, and was also the first Muslim woman ever elected to the state’s legislature.
Conyers, 89, held Michigan’s 13th district seat for more than five decades and became the longest-serving member of Congress before his resignation late last year. He stepped down under pressure from fellow Democrats after multiple women who used to work for him accused him of harassment, allegations that he denied.
