History of Rashida Tlaib in Timeline

Rashida Tlaib is a U.S. Representative from Michigan, serving since 2019. A Democrat, she is the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress. Tlaib is also one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. She represents Michigan's 12th congressional district since 2023. As a politician, she advocates for various progressive causes and has been a vocal voice on issues related to social justice and human rights.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

July 24, 1976: Rashida Tlaib Born

On July 24, 1976, Rashida Harbi Tlaib was born. She is an American lawyer and politician who has served as a U.S. representative from Michigan since 2019.

1976: Birth in Detroit

In 1976, Rashida Tlaib was born in Detroit to working-class Palestinian immigrants.

1994: Graduated from Southwestern High School

In 1994, Rashida Tlaib graduated from Southwestern High School in Detroit.

1998: Bachelor of Arts Degree

In 1998, Rashida Tlaib received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wayne State University.

1998: Married Fayez Tlaib

In 1998, at the age of 22, Tlaib married Fayez Tlaib. They have two sons. The couple have since divorced.

2004: Internship with Steve Tobocman

In 2004, Rashida Tlaib began her political career with an internship with State Representative Steve Tobocman.

2004: Juris Doctor Degree

In 2004, Rashida Tlaib graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School with a Juris Doctor degree and also started her political career interning with State Representative Steve Tobocman.

2004: Received Juris Doctor

In 2004, Rashida Tlaib received her Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

2007: Admitted to the Bar

In 2007, Rashida Tlaib was admitted to the bar in the state of Michigan.

2007: Hired by Steve Tobocman

In 2007, Steve Tobocman hired Rashida Tlaib to his staff when he became Majority Floor Leader.

2008: Encouraged to Run for Seat

In 2008, Steve Tobocman encouraged Rashida Tlaib to run for his seat, which he was vacating due to term limits. She won the primary election with 44% of the vote and the general election with over 90% of the vote.

2010: Primary Election Victory

In 2010, Rashida Tlaib won the primary election challenge from Jim Czachorowski with 85% of the vote. She then won the general election with 92% of the vote against Republican challenger Darrin Daigle.

2012: Reelection to Michigan House

In 2012, Rashida Tlaib won reelection to the Michigan House in the newly redrawn 6th district, defeating fellow incumbent Maureen Stapleton in the Democratic primary 52%-45% and winning the general election with 92% of the vote.

2014: Lost Primary for Michigan Senate

In 2014, Rashida Tlaib ran for the Michigan Senate, losing to incumbent Senator Virgil Smith Jr. in the Democratic primary, 50%-42%, after being term-limited from running for the Michigan House a fourth time.

August 2016: Protested a speech by Trump

In August 2016, Tlaib protested a speech Trump gave at Cobo Center and was ejected from the venue.

July 16, 2018: Fundraising and Appearance on Rebel HQ

As of July 16, 2018, Rashida Tlaib had raised $893,030 in funds. As a member of the Justice Democrats, she made a guest appearance on Rebel HQ of The Young Turks (TYT).

September 2018: Expressed belief that "my Allah is She"

In September 2018, The New York Times reported that Tlaib walked into her family's mosque to express her gratitude for the opportunity to run for Congress, articulating a belief that "my Allah is She".

November 2018: Election to Congress

In November 2018, Rashida Tlaib became the first Palestinian-American woman to be elected to Congress.

2018: Candidacy for U.S. House

In 2018, Rashida Tlaib announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan's 13th congressional district.

2018: Won Democratic Nomination

In 2018, Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic nomination and the general election for the United States House of Representatives in Michigan's 13th congressional district.

2018: Referred to as a single mother

In 2018, a campaign spokesperson referred to Tlaib as a single mother, after she had divorced.

January 3, 2019: Took Congressional Oath of Office

On January 3, 2019, Rashida Tlaib took the congressional oath of office, swearing in on an English-language translation of the Quran. She also wore a traditional embroidered Arab dress, thawb, inspiring the #TweetYourThobe social media trend.

January 2019: Criticism of Anti-BDS Legislation

In January 2019, Rashida Tlaib criticized anti-BDS legislation proposed by Senators Marco Rubio and Jim Risch. Her comments were criticized by groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

June 2019: Voted against border funding bill

In June 2019 Tlaib was one of four Democratic representatives to vote against the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, a $4.5 billion border funding bill that required Customs and Border Protection enact health standards for individuals in custody.

July 2019: Vote Against House Resolution Condemning BDS

In July 2019, Rashida Tlaib was one of 17 members of Congress to vote against a House resolution condemning the BDS movement. She also suggested boycotting HBO host Bill Maher after he denounced the BDS movement.

August 15, 2019: Denied Entry to Israel

On August 15, 2019, Israel announced that Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar would be denied entry into the country. After initially being granted permission to visit relatives in the West Bank, Tlaib declined the visit under "oppressive conditions".

November 14, 2019: House Ethics Committee Investigation

On November 14, 2019, the House Ethics Committee announced that it was investigating whether Rashida Tlaib used congressional campaign money for personal expenses.

2019: Impeachment Vote

In 2019, Rashida Tlaib voted to impeach President Donald Trump.

March 2020: Speech at American Muslims for Palestine Gala

In March 2020, Rashida Tlaib spoke at a gala in Missouri for American Muslims for Palestine, a group that supports an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

August 2020: Directed to Reimburse Campaign

In August 2020, the House Ethics Committee directed Rashida Tlaib to reimburse her campaign $10,800 for personal expenses.

December 2020: Deletion of Retweet Containing 'From the River to the Sea'

In December 2020, Rashida Tlaib deleted a retweet she had posted a few days earlier containing the phrase "from the river to the sea".

2020: Primary Win Against Brenda Jones

In 2020, Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic primary against Brenda Jones, 66%-34%, spending over $2,000,000 in campaign funds.

September 23, 2021: Called Israel an "apartheid state"

On September 23, 2021, Rashida Tlaib called Israel an "apartheid state" on the House floor during a debate over funding for Israel's "Iron Dome" air defense system. Representative Ted Deutch responded by accusing Tlaib of antisemitism.

November 5, 2021: Voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

On November 5, 2021, Tlaib was one of six House Democrats to break with their party and vote against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act because it was decoupled from the social safety net provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

2021: Second Impeachment Vote

In 2021, Rashida Tlaib voted to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time.

2022: Reelection in Michigan's 12th District

In 2022, Rashida Tlaib won reelection in Michigan's newly drawn 12th congressional district, securing the Democratic primary with 64% of the vote and the general election with 71%.

2022: Introduced resolutions recognizing the Nakba

In 2022, Tlaib introduced resolutions aimed at recognizing the Nakba, stating that a just and lasting peace cannot be established without addressing the Nakba and remedying its injustices towards the Palestinian people, and endorsed the Palestinian right of return. The resolutions resulted in criticism.

July 18, 2023: Voted against resolution that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state

On July 18, 2023, Tlaib and eight other progressive Democrats voted against a congressional non-binding resolution that "the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state", that Congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia", and that “the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel”.

October 7, 2023: Hamas Attack on Israel

On October 7, 2023, the Hamas attack on Israel occurred, which later led to a censure resolution against Tlaib in November 2023 for her public statements.

October 2023: Released statement on Israel-Hamas war

During the October 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Tlaib released a statement grieving the loss of both Israeli and Palestinian life, saying the only way to end the cycle of violence was to "dismantle" the apartheid system in place, and calling for the end of unconditional U.S. support for Israel. Tlaib repeatedly condemned Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel and has been the member of Congress most vehemently calling for a ceasefire. She has also defended her criticism of Israel.

October 26, 2023: Proposed Censure Resolution

On October 26, 2023, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene proposed H.Res 829 to censure Tlaib for her criticism of Israel and for "leading an insurrection", but the resolution did not pass.

November 3, 2023: Tweeted antiwar video criticizing Biden's support for Israel

On November 3, 2023, Tlaib tweeted an antiwar video criticizing President Biden's support for Israel's actions in Gaza, accusing him of supporting genocide. The video ended with the words "Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people. The American people won't forget. Biden, support a ceasefire now or don't count on us in 2024".

November 7, 2023: Censure by the House of Representatives

On November 7, 2023, Rashida Tlaib was censured by the House of Representatives due to her public statements following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

2023: Voted against resolution recognizing National Police Week

In 2023, Tlaib and Congresswoman Cori Bush were the only two representatives to vote against a resolution recognizing National Police Week.

2023: Introduced resolutions recognizing the Nakba

In 2023, Tlaib introduced resolutions aimed at recognizing the Nakba, stating that a just and lasting peace cannot be established without addressing the Nakba and remedying its injustices towards the Palestinian people, and endorsed the Palestinian right of return. The resolutions resulted in criticism.

2023: Voted for resolution to remove US troops from Syria

In 2023, Tlaib was among 56 Democrats to vote for H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

September 2024: Criticism Over Allegations About Dana Nessel

In September 2024, Rashida Tlaib faced criticism from several politicians and media figures for allegedly insinuating that Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was prosecuting pro-Palestinian protesters because she is Jewish.

2024: Won Third Term in Congress

In 2024, Rashida Tlaib won a third term in Congress with over 69% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee James Hooper, Green Party nominee Brenda K. Sanders, and Working Class Party nominee Gary Walkowicz.

2024: Tweeted antiwar video criticizing Biden's support for Israel

March 2025: Called for sanctions and arms embargo against Israel

In March 2025, Tlaib called for sanctions and an arms embargo against Israel after the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, writing, "the Israeli apartheid regime has resumed its genocide, carrying out air strikes all across Gaza and killing hundreds of Palestinians. This comes after a complete blockade of food, electricity, and aid".