Debbie Dingell — the wife of iconic Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) — won the race to replace her retiring husband in Congress next year, The Associated Press has determined.
Dingell easily cruised to victory in a congressional district in suburban Detroit, beating Republican auto industry worker Terry Bowman by double digits.
{mosads}“I’m going to Washington to be their voice on the issues that matter to this district and the country,” she said on Facebook: “creating good jobs, making sure health care is affordable and available, keeping college an option for middle class families, protecting social security and Medicare.”
Dingell’s husband, who is leaving office at the end of the year, is the longest-serving member of Congress in the nation’s history. He was first elected in 1955 and during nearly six decades in office became a champion of liberal causes.
During his tenure helped draft some of the most significant laws of the 20th century, including the Clean Air Act and the legislation creating Medicare.
In February, John Dingell announced that he was ending his storied legislative career. The job has become harder, he said, because of “acrimony and bitterness.”
Debbie Dingell is a former executive at General Motors Foundation and is the president of D2 Strategies, a consulting firm.