SMFNews: Muslim Candidates for Congress: Results from the 2026 Midterms
On the morning after the Nov. 3, 2026, midterm elections, the federal picture for Muslim American candidates was clearer than it had been overnight — and still unfinished in at least one House race.
Muslim Network TV reported in October that it had identified at least 51 Muslim Americans on midterm ballots in about 23 states, spanning Congress, statewide offices, state legislatures, county and local posts and one judgeship. Of that floor count, 11 were federal: one U.S. Senate candidate and 10 candidates for the U.S. House. MNTV said it built the list from candidate filings, civic-group voter guides from CAIR and Emgage Action, officeholder records and news reporting, and counted only people it could confirm or who had been widely reported as Muslim.
That breadth matters. For a community that is a little more than one percent of the U.S. population, a slate that large — and one that reaches from a statewide Senate contest to city and county races — marks how much the civic landscape has changed. Muslims are not only watching elections; they are filing paperwork, knocking on doors, debating policy and putting their names on ballots at nearly every level of government.
A longer road into public office
History helps measure the shift. Keith Ellison of Minnesota became the first Muslim member of Congress in 2006. André Carson of Indiana, first elected in 2008, is the chamber’s longest-serving Muslim lawmaker. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both first elected in 2018, were the first Muslim women in Congress. In the years since, more Muslim Americans have sought — and won — seats in statehouses, city councils and, now again, in Washington.
Outside Congress, the same pattern shows up in executive office. Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York City, serving since Jan. 1, 2026, according to the city’s mayoral office — a visible example of Muslim Americans holding high public trust in a major U.S. city.
SMF News celebrates every Muslim candidate who ran for federal office this cycle — winners and those who came up short alike. Running for Congress takes courage, stamina and a public willingness to serve neighbors who do not all share one’s faith. That civic participation strengthens American Muslim life whether a race ends in a victory speech or a close concession. This article does not endorse any party or policy; party labels appear only as factual ballot information.
Below are the 11 federal candidates on MNTV’s confirmed list, with the latest results available Wednesday morning, Eastern Time. One California House race remained too close to treat as settled in the reporting we reviewed; it is marked clearly as still being counted.
Abdul El-Sayed — Michigan, U.S. Senate — Won
Physician and former Michigan public-health official Abdul El-Sayed won the open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, defeating Mike Rogers. The Associated Press called the race about 2:28 a.m. EST on Nov. 4, according to The Washington Post’s AP report. El-Sayed will be the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.
Ilhan Omar — Minnesota 5th District, U.S. House — Won
Incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar won a fifth term representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, defeating John Nagel and independent DeVelle Jackson, according to Anadolu Agency’s election factbox and a Minnesota DFL statement.
Rashida Tlaib — Michigan 12th District, U.S. House — Won
Incumbent Rep. Rashida Tlaib won a fifth term in Michigan’s 12th District. The Associated Press called the race on election night; CBS Detroit later reported Tlaib with about 76.2% of the vote to James Hooper’s 21.0%, with Brenda Sanders also on the ballot.
“I am running for re-election because our work together in Congress is far from done.” (Campaign launch statement, Jan. 28, 2026)
André Carson — Indiana 7th District, U.S. House — Won
Incumbent Rep. André Carson retained Indiana’s Indianapolis-based 7th District against Patrick McAuley and James Sceniak, according to Associated Press and Anadolu Agency reporting. Carson has served in the House since 2008.
No election-night quote from Carson was located in time for this article.
Lateefah Simon — California 12th District, U.S. House — Won
Incumbent Rep. Lateefah Simon won reelection in California’s East Bay 12th District, the Associated Press reported via WTOP, defeating Jamie Joyce.
“We’re going to have to fight like hell.” (Election Day remark, Nov. 3, 2026, via Bay Area Brief citing The Oaklandside)
Adam Hamawy — New Jersey 12th District, U.S. House — Won
Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon, retired U.S. Army combat physician and Iraq War veteran, won New Jersey’s 12th District, the Associated Press reported, according to The Daily Princetonian. Anadolu Agency described him as the first Muslim elected to represent New Jersey in Congress. He defeated Gregg Mele and other ballot opponents for the seat previously held by Bonnie Watson Coleman.
“We have proved once and for all that there is no such thing as ‘progressive except for Palestine.’” (June 2026 primary victory speech, cited in The Daily Princetonian’s Nov. 3 report)
Darializa Avila Chevalier — New York 13th District, U.S. House — Won
Darializa Avila Chevalier won New York’s 13th District, covering Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood and parts of the West Bronx. Anadolu Agency reported she took more than 85% of the vote. A civil-rights investigator and community organizer who has described herself as a convert to Islam, she defeated longtime incumbent Adriano Espaillat in the June primary before winning the general election.
Aisha Wahab — California 14th District, U.S. House — Still being counted
Rep. Aisha Wahab, who won an August 2026 special election to finish the term of former Rep. Eric Swalwell, sought the full two-year term beginning in 2027 against Melissa Hernandez. As of KQED’s Nov. 4 update, Wahab “appeared headed for victory,” with early Alameda County returns showing her above 57% and Hernandez under 43%. SMF News is not treating the race as called here until a clear Associated Press call for the Nov. 3 general election is confirmed; the latest available count is reported above.
“I’m very proud that they voted for me and supported me and trust me.” (KQED interview after early returns)
Zuhdi Jasser — Arizona 4th District, U.S. House — Lost
Zuhdi Jasser, a physician, Navy veteran and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, lost Arizona’s 4th District to incumbent Greg Stanton. Public result aggregators reported Jasser with roughly 35.4% to Stanton’s 62.4%.
“I’ll be that firewall. I will stand up for all Americans.” (September 2026 campaign ad, via Arizona Daily Independent)
Ahsen Mujeeb Malik — Virginia 10th District, U.S. House — Lost
Independent Ahsen Mujeeb Malik finished with about 6,098 votes (1.85%) in Virginia’s 10th District, according to Virginia election-result reporting; Suhas Subramanyam won the seat. No usable licensed photo and no public quote were located for Malik in time for publication.
Alaha Ahrar — Virginia 7th District, U.S. House — Lost
Independent Alaha Ahrar finished with about 3,020 votes (0.94%) in Virginia’s 7th District, according to Virginia election-result reporting; Eugene Vindman won the seat. No usable licensed photo and no public quote were located for Ahrar in time for publication.
What this means
Seven Muslim candidates had been elected to the next Congress as of Wednesday morning’s reporting — El-Sayed to the Senate and Omar, Tlaib, Carson, Simon, Hamawy and Avila Chevalier to the House — with Wahab’s California race still being counted in the sources reviewed here. Others fell short. All of them stepped into public view in a hard season for American politics.
For American Muslims, the meaning is larger than any single night’s tally. A generation ago, a Muslim name on a federal ballot was rare. This year, MNTV’s confirmed floor of 51 candidates across about 23 states — and 11 federal contests alone — shows a community practicing the ordinary, demanding work of democracy: asking neighbors for their vote, accepting scrutiny, and serving either in office or as an example of civic courage. That is worth recognizing without regard to party or final margin.
Sources: Muslim Network TV (Oct. 20, 2026); Anadolu Agency factbox (Nov. 4, 2026); Washington Post / AP on El-Sayed (Nov. 4, 2026); Minnesota DFL on Omar; CBS Detroit on Tlaib; WTOP / AP on Simon; Daily Princetonian on Hamawy; El Faro Latino on Avila Chevalier; KQED on Wahab; Arizona Daily Independent on Jasser; NYC Mayor’s Office.
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