Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib announces she will switch districts for upcoming midterm election

House Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Mi.) announced on Tuesday she will run in Michigan’s 12th district instead of 13th, after Rep. Brenda Lawrence announced she will not seek another term in office.

Lawrence served for three decades, eight of which were in Congress, and is currently the only Black representative from Michigan in Washington DC. Lawrence will serve out her term and step down after the 2022 election.

Lawrence and Tlaib’s announcements come after a group of Detroit lawmakers sued the Michigan Redistricting Commission over the newly-approved voting maps, which the lawmakers say discriminate against and disenfranchise Black voters.

Tlaib’s new district, if the new maps remain in place, would consist of about two-thirds of her current constituency, as well as the suburbs of Dearborn and Southfield. “I’m excited to continue to fight for our residents and engage with new neighbors in Wayne and Oakland Counties,” Tlaib said in her statement on Twitter.