Tlaib holds lead in early vote count against primary challenger

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) holds a large lead over Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones in a Democratic primary, but with only 16 percent of precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press.

The two candidates could be waiting for some time for a formal result because of a large number of absentee ballots.

Tlaib has 66 percent of the votes cast so far, compared to 34 percent for Jones, according to the AP.

Tuesday marks the third time that Tlaib and Jones have gone head-to-head in the reliably blue district since 2018, when Jones defeated Tlaib in the race to replace the late Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D). About a month later Tlaib defeated Jones by 1 percentage point in a six-way primary for a new two-year term.

Tlaib has since become a national figure in politics and a member of “the squad” of four progressive women elected to the House in 2018. She is one of two Muslim women in Congress and an outspoken progressive. She’s been criticized by Jones for being too confrontational and less focused on bringing money into the district. 

“I’m confident. I’m confident in the movement that we started. I’m confident that as we experience this tonight, we are going to see that our country is ready, is ready for someone like me and others that are saying, ’Enough. Enough with corporate greed. Enough with the assault on our families,’” Tlaib said in a video to supporters after the polls closed, according to the AP. 

Tlaib far outraised Jones at more than $2 million. Jones racked in more notable local endorsements while Tlaib is backed by high-profile national figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)