INKSTER — earlier this month Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen joined  a growing list of Democratic candidates seeking to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District.

Unlike the previous election cycle in 2024, Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, will be required this year to compete in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, August 4, facing Nolen and potentially other candidates, including Shanelle Jackson, who previously ran unsuccessfully in the same race in 2022.

The winner of the Democratic primary in the 12th District is widely expected to win the seat outright, given the district’s longstanding loyalty to the Democratic Party.

While Jackson is not viewed as a serious contender, Nolen is considered the first significant challenger to Tlaib since the 2022 congressional race, when the progressive Democrat defeated three opponents in the primary, including Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, who placed second with 22.4 percent of the vote compared to 61.8 percent for Tlaib. Jackson finished fourth with about 5 percent.

Tlaib is seeking to retain her seat for a fifth two-year term, having first been elected to Congress in 2018.

In the 2024 election cycle, Tlaib retained her seat for the first time without facing a Democratic challenger in the district, which includes more than 750,000 residents across 14 municipalities in Wayne and Oakland Counties.

Michigan’s 12th District includes, in Wayne County, Dearborn, Livonia, Garden City, Inkster, Westland and Redford, as well as most of western Detroit and most of Dearborn Heights, excluding its southern neighborhoods. In Oakland County, it includes Southfield, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Franklin and Lathrup Village.

The district, redrawn following the 2020 U.S. Census, is notable for having the largest concentration of Arab American voters in the United States, along with a diverse population that includes Black, White, Latino, Jewish and other communities.

Nolen’s criticism

As the candidate filing deadline approaches next month and with the possibility of additional Democratic contenders entering the race, Nolen has moved quickly to criticize Tlaib in media statements, accusing her of weak leadership and disloyalty to the Democratic Party due to her refusal to endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race.

In remarks to the Michigan Chronicle, the African American candidate blamed Tlaib for Harris’ defeat.

“She did not represent our interests in the best way possible,” Nolen said. “I cannot tolerate being let down to this extent.

“Look at Jill Stein’s numbers and the number of voters who did not turn out,” he added.

Nolen argued that Tlaib’s position contributed to Harris losing Michigan to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The Republican Trump outperformed Harris in traditionally Democratic cities such as Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. A significant share of votes in those cities went to Green Party candidate Jill Stein, while Tlaib won easily in both.

While Nolen said he understood Tlaib’s participation in the “Uncommitted” protest vote movement during the 2024 Democratic presidential primaries due to then-President Biden’s support for the war in Gaza, he strongly criticized her for not revising her stance after Harris became the nominee that summer.

“After Biden withdrew, Tlaib did not reconsider her position,” Nolen said, describing it as a “leadership failure” that contributed to Trump’s return to the White House.

Nolen, a lawyer and small business owner, was re-elected mayor of Inkster in 2023, after previously serving in the same role from 2015 to 2019.

He officially announced his congressional candidacy on March 11, stating that his campaign will focus on protecting civil rights and constitutional freedoms.

A campaign spokesperson said in a statement that Nolen “has dedicated his career to addressing the issues facing voters in the 12th District”, describing him as the “best choice” for constituents.

The statement added that Nolen, as mayor, “successfully led Inkster out of a severe financial crisis”, noting that his background as a labor attorney and small business owner gives him “a deep understanding of the everyday challenges facing families.”

According to observers, Nolen could pose a serious threat to Tlaib if his campaign succeeds in raising substantial funding — particularly if supported by pro-Israel lobbying groups, most notably the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

However, Nolen himself stated that he will not seek AIPAC support, which has faced increasing criticism from progressive Democrats and some conservative Republicans, especially among younger voters.

“I don’t think they will spend on me — and I would return the money,” Nolen said, adding that the issue has become “too toxic.” He also emphasized that he opposes the war, like many voters in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights whose support he hopes to win.

Tlaib’s prospects

Meanwhile, observers say Tlaib remains the frontrunner in the 12th District due to her strong alignment with voters’ concerns.

The Democratic congresswoman recently announced on social media that she has officially filed for re-election to a fifth term.

As the only Palestinian American in Congress, Tlaib has raised millions of dollars in past campaigns from donors sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, in addition to enjoying strong support from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Since taking office in early 2019, following her service in the Michigan House of Representatives, Tlaib has used her congressional platform to oppose sending U.S. funding to support Israel’s wars and other foreign conflicts — a position gaining traction among Democrats and some Republicans.