Democratic voters in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District have a choice in the 2026 primary election: re-elect incumbent Rashida Tlaib or pick someone new.

Tlaib is seeking her fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She’ll have to defeat two challengers whose names appear on the August ballot. One Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen. The is former state lawmaker Shanelle Jackson of Detroit. 

WDET’s Pat Batcheller asked Jackson why she’s running against Tlaib. She says the district needs someone who focuses more on what’s happening in Detroit.

“I feel like we’re a stool for her to stand on to move and project the needs of another group of people that are suffering somewhere else,” Jackson says.

Who is Shanelle Jackson?

Jackson describes herself as “a Detroit girl through and through.” She attended Detroit Public Schools, the University of Michigan, and Marygrove College. She earned a master’s degree in social justice and political science and became a lawyer. At age 26, she ran for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives. She won, becoming the youngest woman of color ever elected to the state Legislature. She served six years from 2007 through 2012. 

Jackson says she became an effective Democratic policy maker by working with Republicans.

“I drove across the state, I met them in their districts,” she says. “I learned the art of policymaking, moving policies to change folks’ lives.” 

Jackson says Tlaib lacks that ability.

“You have to have a willingness to be amenable to the other side,” Jackson says. “You’ve got to be willing to sit with them to work with them, understand them, learn from them, listen.”

Addressing poverty is critical

Jackson says affordability is the top issue facing the 12th district. She says the root of that is poverty, which affects almost half of Metro Detroit. She says the way to break that cycle is to help people find work.

“We do that with education,” Jackson says. “But we also do that with investment in job training, public-private partnerships.”

The former lawmaker says Congress needs to help people who receive public assistance avoid what she calls the “benefits cliff.”

“What happens is you get men and women who are on assistance, they get a small raise,” she says. “But as soon as they get that, they get pushed off assistance.”

Jackson says she hopes to restore people’s trust in government. 

“Some folks feel disenchanted with the process,” she says. “I’ll tell your story; I’ll make sure that our voice and our perspective is heard.”

Finding common ground

Despite her reservations about Tlaib’s effectiveness, Jackson says she shares many of the congresswoman’s positions.

“She’s a great advocate on social justice issues,” Jackson says. Both women support women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and universal health care. But Israel is a different story.

Tlaib has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s government and its war in Gaza, which has killed thousands of Palestinians. Israel says it’s defending itself from terrorist groups such as Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 people in Israel on October 7, 2023. 

Tlaib has voted against giving financial aid or weapons to Israel. Jackson says she stands with Israel, but doesn’t want the U.S. to rush into any conflict.

“I will work toward more diplomatic efforts stopping this war that the president went into without going to Congress for authorization,” she says.

Jackson also says she would reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Tlaib says the government should abolish ICE.

Whoever wins the primary election will likely win the general election in November because the 12th district is a Democratic stronghold. Voting ends on August 4.