Rep. Rashida Tlaib Wins Reelection, Joining Rest of Progressive ‘Squad’

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) at a press conference in Washington on July 15, 2019. Holly Kellum/NTD

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) has comfortably beaten off her Republican challenger, according to projections, joining the rest of the so-called Squad of four progressive congresswomen who held onto their seats in deep-blue districts.

Victory for the Democrat in the race for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District has been declared by AP and Decision Desk.

She currently has 67 percent of the votes, compared with 28 percent picked up by Republican David Dudenhoefer.

In the run-up to the election, Tlaib, who identifies as a socialist and a champion of “social justice,” was seen as the most vulnerable member of the Squad.

But after defeating her Democrat challenger in the primaries with 89 percent of the vote, election victory was in little doubt in the Democrat stronghold, which covers parts of her native city of Detroit.

Tlaib made a name for herself with her progressive stance, for chanting for President Trump to be impeached using an expletive, and for defying the party leadership along with the rest of the freshman Squad.

Trump has previously challenged these congresswomen for pushing a progressive agenda onto the country through the Democrat party.

The other three scored equally comfortable victories.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) cruised to a win, securing nearly 70 percent of the vote. Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman to ever serve as a member of Congress.

Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, earlier Nov. 3 thanked organizers who registered and educated voters.

She responded to the victory on Twitter writing, “Thank you to the Bronx & Queens for reelecting me to the House despite the millions spent against us, and trusting me to represent you once more.”

“Progress doesn’t happen without the work. You are so deeply appreciated,” she wrote on social media.

The 31-year-old New Yorker found her way to congress two years ago via a shocking primary defeat of longtime Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.).

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) defended her seat against Republican challenger Lacy Johnson to secure her Minnesota 5th Congressional District seat.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:43 p.m. ET. She earned about 64.7 percent of the vote compared to Johnson, who won only 25.8 percent.

The fourth member of the progressive group, Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) was called as the winner of her race in Massachusetts by AP at 10:56 p.m. According to Decision Desk, she had over 87 percent of the vote.

Responding to news of her victory on Twitter, she wrote: “Together, we have fought for our shared humanity. We have organized. We have mobilized. We have legislated our values.”