The 2026 US midterm elections have brought several historic firsts. From the election of the first Muslim senator to the entry of Palestinian and South Asian-origin Muslims into state legislatures, Muslim participation and success reached a new level this time. There were also several firsts in the representation of women, Black, Indigenous and LGBTQ people.
In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed was elected senator by defeating Republican Mike Rogers, becoming the first Muslim senator in US history. Physician Adam Hamawy was elected New Jersey’s first Muslim member of Congress.
The wins of Nabeela Syed in the Illinois state Senate and Aber Kawas in the New York state Senate are also important for the representation of Muslim and immigrant-origin communities.
Historic achievements for Muslims
1. Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim US senator
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate election. Several outlets including the Associated Press confirmed his win, making him the first Muslim elected to the Senate in US history.
El-Sayed, 42, is a physician and public health expert. He has served as director of the health department of Michigan’s Wayne County and headed Detroit’s health department. In his campaign he promised universal healthcare, a lower cost of living, curbs on corporate influence and higher taxes on the rich. Criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and a call to end US military aid to Israel also featured prominently.
During the campaign he faced Islamophobic remarks and allegations. Several figures in the Republican camp, including President Donald Trump, attacked his Muslim identity. He won amid these controversies.
2. Adam Hamawy, New Jersey’s first Muslim member of Congress
Democrat Adam Hamawy won New Jersey’s 12th congressional district by defeating Republican Greg Melley, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Congress from New Jersey.
Of Egyptian origin, Hamawy is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a former US Army doctor. During the Iraq war he treated wounded soldiers, and he played an important role in saving the life of former US congresswoman Tammy Duckworth after her helicopter crash. He has taken part in humanitarian medical work in Bosnia, Sudan, Lebanon and Syria, and went to Gaza to provide medical care in 2024 and 2025.
In his campaign Hamawy backed universal healthcare, an end to US military aid to Israel and cancellation of medical and student debt.
3. Nabeela Syed, Muslim and South Asian representation in the Illinois Senate
Democrat Nabeela Syed won Illinois state Senate District 26 by defeating Republican Darby Hills, with 57 percent of the vote to Hills’s 43 percent. The seat was previously held by Republicans.
An Indian-origin Muslim, Syed came to attention when she was elected to the Illinois House in 2022 at just 23. Educated at the University of California, Berkeley, she has worked on consumer rights, healthcare and voting rights. Elected to the state Senate, she now has a wider role in making the state’s laws.
4. Aber Kawas, New York’s first Palestinian Muslim woman legislator
Palestinian-origin Muslim Aber Kawas has won New York State Senate District 12, becoming the first Palestinian Muslim woman elected to the state legislature. A Queens resident and community organiser, Kawas is the daughter of Palestinian parents.
She stood with the backing of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America. Housing and tenants’ rights, protection for immigrants, living standards for working people and Palestinian rights were central to her campaign. She has long worked as an organiser for immigrants’ and workers’ rights.
5. Ruwa Romman, Muslim and Palestinian representation advances in Georgia
The representation of Ruwa Romman, a Muslim politician of Palestinian origin, in Georgia’s state legislature has reached a new stage. In 2022 she made history as the first Muslim woman and first Palestinian-American elected to the Georgia House. In the 2026 election she won state Senate District 7, opening the way to the upper chamber. Early results showed her well ahead of Republican candidate Ijaz Sheikh, and the final position will be clear when official results are announced.
6. Ilhan Omar, re-elected as one of the first Muslim women in Congress
Democrat Ilhan Omar has been re-elected to Congress from Minnesota’s 5th congressional district. Born in Somalia, she came to the United States as a refugee and made history when she was elected to Congress in 2018. With Rashida Tlaib, she was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. In Congress she has spoken out on immigrants’ rights, healthcare, economic inequality and Palestinian rights. Her re-election maintains the continuity of Muslim representation in Congress.
7. Rashida Tlaib, another win for a Palestinian-origin Muslim member of Congress
Democrat Rashida Tlaib has been re-elected from Michigan’s 12th congressional district. The daughter of a Palestinian immigrant family, Tlaib made history in 2018 as one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, and is one of the first two Palestinian-origin US lawmakers in Congress. She has worked for working people’s rights, healthcare, housing, the environment and social justice, and is known as a strong critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Her win for a new term further strengthens Palestinian and Muslim representation in Congress.
8. Andre Carson, a long-serving Muslim member of Congress
Democrat Andre Carson has been re-elected from Indiana’s 7th congressional district. He entered Congress after winning a special election in 2008. Carson is the second Muslim elected to the US Congress; before him, Keith Ellison of Minnesota was the first. Carson has served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and worked on terrorism, counter-intelligence and security, as well as civil rights, immigration, transport and jobs. With this win he keeps his long-held place in Congress.
Other firsts beyond Muslim candidates
1. Deb Haaland, the first Indigenous woman governor in the US
Democrat Deb Haaland defeated Republican Gregg Hull in the New Mexico governor’s election, becoming the first Indigenous woman governor of any US state. A member of the Laguna Pueblo, Haaland previously served as interior secretary in former president Joe Biden’s administration.
2. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the first Black woman governor in the US
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson in the Georgia governor’s election, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in US history. The former mayor of Atlanta will also be Georgia’s first woman governor. She previously served as a senior adviser to former president Joe Biden.
3. Byron Donalds, Florida’s first Black Republican governor
Republican Byron Donalds has won the Florida governor’s election, becoming the first Black Republican elected governor of a US state. His win sets a new precedent in Florida politics.
4. Juliana Stratton, Illinois’s second Black woman senator
Democrat Juliana Stratton defeated Republican Don Tracy in the Illinois Senate election and will succeed retiring senator Dick Durbin, becoming the second Black woman senator elected from Illinois. When Stratton takes office alongside sitting senator Tammy Duckworth, Illinois will be the first state to have two women senators of different racial backgrounds serving at the same time.
5. Chris Pappas, the first openly gay man in the Senate
Democrat Chris Pappas defeated Republican former senator John E Sununu in the New Hampshire Senate election, becoming the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate. Pappas was elected New Hampshire’s first openly LGBTQ member of Congress in 2018.
6. Stacey Plaskett, first Black woman governor of a US territory
Stacey Plaskett has won the governor’s election in the US Virgin Islands, making history as the first Black woman governor of a US territory rather than a state.
Results not yet final
In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola is running against Republican Dan Sullivan. She leads in the early count, but ranked-choice counting may decide the final result. If she wins she could become the second Indigenous woman elected to the US Senate; Minnesota’s Peggy Flanagan has already been elected as the first.
In Minnesota, Democrat Amy Klobuchar has won the governor’s election, becoming the state’s first woman governor.
The 2026 midterm elections point to a major change in political representation in the United States. Among Muslims, Abdul El-Sayed becoming the first Muslim senator, Adam Hamawy becoming New Jersey’s first Muslim member of Congress, and the wins of a new generation of politicians such as Nabeela Syed and Aber Kawas stand out.
The victories of Deb Haaland, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Byron Donalds, Juliana Stratton and Chris Pappas also show the growing participation of communities long under-represented in US politics. These wins are not only personal political successes but also reflect a change in the country’s structure of leadership and representation.
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