DFA endorses Rashida Tlaib for U.S. House in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District
Democracy for America (DFA) today endorsed Rashida Tlaib in her race to become the next member of Congress from the Democratic stronghold of Michigan’s 13th congressional district.
DFA Chair Jim Dean on the decision to back Rashida Tlaib’s race for Congress in Michigan’s 13th congressional district:
“Rashida Tlaib is a courageous progressive leader and unrelenting champion for Detroit’s working families that our country needs in Congress.
“When millionaires, billionaires, and corporate interests try to silence her, Rashida Tlaib refuses to back down from her mission to make life better for working class people. Rashida took on the Koch brothers when no one else would, and got them to remove their toxic waste from the Detroit riverfront. And, when Donald Trump held a campaign rally at a meeting of the Detroit Economic Club, Rashida stood up and got tossed out for demanding that he read the U.S. Constitution.
“Democracy for America members are thrilled to endorse Rashida Tlaib, not only because she’ll make history as the first Muslim woman in Congress, but because we can’t wait to see what her fearless tenacity brings to fights for critical inclusive populist priorities like Medicare for All, criminal justice reform, and a $15 minimum wage.” -- Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America
DFA has 68,405 members in the state of Michigan and more than one million members nationwide.
As a part of its work in the 2018 election cycle, DFA intends to raise and spend more than $12 million in support of progressive candidates, make more than 2 million voter contacts, and support more than 250 candidates nationwide -- like Rashida Tlaib -- in running inclusive populist campaigns committed to turning out the New American Majority of people of color and progressive white voters in November.
Rashida Tlaib on receiving DFA’s endorsement in her race for Congress:
"The families of Michigan's 13th district and I are building a people-powered movement to retake our government from wealthy corporate bullies who control the Republicans. I'm so grateful to have the support of Democracy for America, a truly grassroots organization that knows that our big progressive ideas can come to life when we organize our communities and empower residents to become activists for their futures. We are knocking tens of thousands of doors across this district because we know that working people are hungry for courageous representatives who will take on the entrenched powers to get meaningful change, and we're proud to have DFA by our side." -- Rashida Tlaib
Rashida Tlaib is a former member of the Michigan State House who made history as the first Muslim woman to serve in the state legislature and championed efforts to restore state funding for numerous social services. Since being term-limited out of office in 2014, Tlaib has lead local efforts that forced the Koch brothers to remove pollutants for the shores of the Detroit River and required a comprehensive cancer study in the shadow of Marathon Oil’s refinery expansion. A native Detroiter, Tlaib is committed to continuing her work knocking down the barriers to real change when elected Congress.
Tlaib is just Democracy for America’s third 2018 endorsement in Michigan. Last week, DFA endorsed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s race for Governor and, in late January, the grassroots progressive political organization backed Fayrouz Saad for Congress in Michigan’s battleground 11th congressional district.
Democracy for America is a member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with more than one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism. Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $54 million and made more than 21.9 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.