American Muslims won statehouses, city halls, county seats and school boards in the Nov. 3 midterms, adding to the federal races SMF covered in its results roundup for Congress. From Harris County to Ann Arbor to Queens, those state and local contests produced a string of verified wins reported by local and national outlets.
At the top of the federal slate is Abdul El-Sayed, who became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate with Michigan’s Senate seat. Below that level, the Nov. 3 ballots decided races that set school policy, zoning and local public safety — the offices where most Muslim candidates this cycle competed, building on SMF’s earlier look at the at least 51 Muslim Americans who ran.
Milestones from coast to coast
Texas. Letitia Plummer was elected Harris County judge, the county’s top executive post. Axios Houston reported that she is the first Muslim and the first Black person elected to the role, winning about 61% of the vote in unofficial results, and the Houston Chronicle described her as the highest-ranking Muslim executive official in Texas history. In Austin, Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri won a second term in District 9 with 51.38% of the vote, avoiding a runoff, The Daily Texan reported.
New York. Aber Kawas won New York State Senate District 12. Middle East Eye reported that she took about three-quarters of the vote with 90% counted when the race was called, and described her as the first Palestinian American and first hijab-wearing woman elected to the New York State Legislature.
Illinois. Nabeela Syed, who in 2022 became one of the first Muslims to serve in the Illinois General Assembly, won Illinois Senate District 26 with about 57% of the vote against the incumbent, The National reported.
Michigan. Yousef Rabhi was elected mayor of Ann Arbor, where he ran unopposed on the ballot, facing only a write-in campaign, and received about 97% of the vote, The Michigan Daily reported; his term begins at noon on Dec. 1. Amir Makled, whom SMF profiled after his election to the University of Michigan Board of Regents, also won. In the Legislature, Abbas Alawieh won state Senate District 2 with about 71% of the vote, and Jalal Abdallah won House District 15 with about 72%, according to ClickOnDetroit’s Senate and House results pages.
New Jersey. Adam Hamawy won New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. The New Jersey Globe reported that he became the first Muslim American elected to Congress from New Jersey, defeating Gregg Mele with about 70% of the vote.
North Carolina and Georgia. In North Carolina, the two women SMF profiled in its North Carolina story were among Muslim candidates elected or reelected on Nov. 3. In Georgia, Rep. Akbar Ali won reelection, which SMF covered earlier this week.
Races still being counted
Some races involving Muslim candidates remained uncalled as ballots continued to be counted. SMF has been following California’s U.S. House race involving Rep. Aisha Wahab, who already holds her seat after an August special election, in its congressional results coverage.
Baltimore County Council candidate Arkia Wade, whose response to an anti-Muslim social media post SMF reported in October, was among the close races. WYPR reported on Nov. 4 that she trailed her opponent by 1,074 votes, had not conceded and was waiting on mail-in ballots, which she led among those counted so far.
All results remain subject to official certification, which proceeds state by state.
Why it matters
School boards, city councils, county governments and statehouses make local decisions on zoning, school policy and public safety. The wins listed above show Muslim candidates succeeding at those levels as well as in Congress, a picture that builds on SMF’s earlier look at the at least 51 Muslim Americans who ran.
SMF reports these results factually and does not endorse any candidate. Vote totals cited from news outlets are unofficial until state and local officials certify them.
