Incumbent U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich, won the Democratic primary race over primary challenger and University of Michigan Medical School student Solomon Rajput on Tuesday.
The Associated Press called the race at 9:44 p.m. with 31 of precincts reporting. As of 9:59 p.m., Dingell holds 70.60 percent of the votes over Rajput.
Dingell has served the district in the House of Representatives since 2015, succeeding her retired husband, John Dingell Jr., who served as the longest-serving member of Congress, and his father John Dingell Sr.
Dingell thanked supporters on a Zoom call shortly after the race was called to express her appreciation.
“I just want to let you all know how much you mean to me,” Dingell said. “We are a community and I think that sense of community is more important than it’s ever been.”
Dingell expressed her excitement about the results and emphasized the importance of staying active and engaged through the general election in November.
“We have three more months until the one that really matters,” Dingell said. “…The future of our country is really at stake in November and it’s good to get a primary behind you, but we’ve all got to come together, we’ve all just got to work our heart and souls out because it’s really frightening what we see happening in this country, how it’s being divided by fear and hatred.”
Dingell was endorsed by a multitude of local and national political players including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and the chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. Dingell also received endorsements from several progressive organizations including Moms Demand Action, Planned Parenthood, the Michigan Education Association, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and Demand Universal Healthcare.
Dingell currently sits on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Natural Resources in the House. She was also a lead sponsor on the Medicare for All Act in 2019. Dingell told The Daily in a recent interview this legislation is her top priority going into the 117th Congress.
Summer News Editor Sarah Payne can be reached at paynesm@umich.edu.