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First American Of Palestinian Descent To Enter Congress

Rashida Tlaib is set to become the first Palestinian-American and Muslim woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, following her victory in this week’s special primary in Michigan’s District 13. No Republicans or third-party candidates contested the race to replace long-time congressman John Conyers, who stepped down in December amid sexual harassment allegations. Accordingly, Tlaib, 42, will run unopposed in November’s mid-term elections and begin serving a full two-year term in January. Tlaib’s mother is originally from the West Bank town of Beit Ur al-Foqa, whose residents expressed hope that the future legislator will use her position to take on a Trump administration widely viewed as hostile to the Palestinian cause. Tlaib, a former state lawmaker, defeated five other candidates to win the nomination. She is the eldest of 14 children born to Palestinian immigrants in Detroit.