Record-breaking 82 Muslims win in US midterm elections
146 American Muslim candidates ran for local, state and federal office, including 51 state legislative candidates in 23 states.
Muslims presence has increased in US politics with a record-breaking 82 Muslims winning during this week’s midterm elections.
146 American Muslim candidates ran for local, state and federal office, including 51 state legislative candidates in 23 states, reported Jetpac Resource Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The 82 elected is the highest since Jetpac and CAIR have been maintaining the record of the electoral progress of American Muslims.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad is quoted to have said, “We are witnessing the next step in the American Muslim community’s political transformation from marginalized voices that were sidelined, or worse, to decision makers. These newly-elected officials are building upon the success of our community’s decades-long investment in civic engagement, voter registration and running for office,”.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the first and only Muslim elected to a statewide position, won the re-election. Other Congress members Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Andre Carson too won the re-election.
While twenty-one incumbent state legislators won re-election, another 16 Muslim candidates joined them to increase the number of Muslim state lawmakers nationwide to 43. Islam Channel reported.
Abdelnasser Rashid and Nabeela Syed will serve in the Illinois House of Representatives.
Democrats Mana Abdi, Deqa Dhalac, and Ambureen Rana are the first Muslims elected to the Maine State Legislature, all to State House seats.
Ohio Democrats Munira Abdullahi and Ismail Mohamed will become the first Muslims to serve in the state legislature. Similarly Salman Bhojani and Suleman Lalani are the first Muslims elected to the Texas Legislature.
Nabilah Islam is the first Muslim woman elected to the State Senate in Georgia, and Ruwa Romman is the first woman elected to the state’s House of Representatives. Farooq Mughal also won a state house seat, with incumbent State Senator Sheikh Rahman winning re-election.
Minnesota elected its first Muslim woman to the State Senate in Zaynab Mohamed.
Hamida Dakane also made history, becoming the first woman of Somali descent elected to the state House in North Dakota.
While Tarik Khan successfully ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Alabas Farhat won his race for state representative to double the state’s tally in Michigan.
