JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul id="list">
    <li>1</li>
    <li>ab 1</li>
    <li>ab 2</li>
    <li>ab 3</li>
    <li>ab 4</li>
</ul>

JavaScript

$("#list li")
    .slice(1)
    .not(':contains(ab 2)').remove();