Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey to challenge Rep. Rashida Tlaib in newly formed 12th Congressional District

Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey is running for a new office this year. This time, she’s making another run at Congress in the newly formed 12^th Congressional District, where Rep. Rashida Tlaib is also running.

Winfrey previously challenged the late Rep. John Conyers in 2016 and lost by a 2-to-1 margin. She says her name recognition will serve her campaign well this time around.

“The community knows my work. They trust my work. And again, they know my name,” she says.

The 12th District includes Detroit’s west side, Dearborn, Southfield and other parts of Wayne County. Winfrey says she wants to continue serving the community in a federal capacity.

“When I say serving the community, I mean ensuring that every citizen in the community has access to good-paying jobs and adequate housing and health care and a free quality education,” she says.

Winfrey secured her fifth term as Detroit City Clerk last year. She won more than 70% of the vote against her opponent Denzel McCampbell, who is Tlaib’s communications director.

Winfrey oversees Detroit’s elections and record keeping. Both have been heavily scrutinized throughout her 17-year career as city clerk. The Michigan Secretary of State helped administer Detroit’s presidential elections in 2020 after several discrepancies were found between the city’s voting precincts and absentee ballots during the August primary.

Winfrey is one of Detroit’s longest-serving elected officials in history. She says she feels confident about leaving her city clerk position if she gets elected.

“We purposely put together a dynamic team at the Department of Elections and the Clerk’s Office. I purposely helped to ensure that the young people, the younger staff members, are ready to take over the reins.”