Biography

Rashida Harbi Tlaib (born July 24, 1976) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 12th congressional district since 2019 (known as the 13th congressional district until 2023). The district includes the western half of Detroit, along with several of its western suburbs such as Dearborn, Southfield, and much of the Downriver area. A member of the Democratic Party, Tlaib represented the 6th and 12th districts of the Michigan House of Representatives before her election to Congress. In 2018, Tlaib won the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives seat from Michigan's 13th congressional district. She ran unopposed in the general election and became the first woman of Palestinian descent in Congress, the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan legislature, and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, along with Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Tlaib is a member of The Squad, an informal group of six (four until the 2020 elections) U.S. representatives on the left wing of the Democratic Party. Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) were the first female members of Democratic Socialists of America to serve in Congress. Tlaib has argued in favor of abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She was a vocal critic of the Trump administration and advocated for Trump's impeachment. On foreign affairs, she has sharply criticized the Israeli government, called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, supports a one-state solution, and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.