Dozens of Muslim Americans Are on the Ballot as Midterms Near

With the Nov. 3 midterm elections 11 days away, Muslim American candidates are running in congressional, state and local races across the country, and community groups are working to get voters to the polls.

Muslim Network TV (MNTV) identified at least 51 Muslim Americans on the ballot, including 11 candidates for Congress. Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary in August, would be the first Muslim U.S. senator if elected. MNTV also listed several possible firsts: Adam Hamawy would be New Jersey’s first Muslim member of Congress, Aber Kawas would be the first Palestinian American in New York’s state legislature, and Letitia Plummer would be the first Muslim county executive in Texas and the American South. The outlet said about 50 more candidates with names common in Muslim communities were flagged but not confirmed.

CAIR counts 225 Muslim American elected officials currently serving nationwide. In August, it launched Muslims.Vote, a nonpartisan campaign offering registration and voting tools. Its strategic plan sets a goal of two million net new Muslim voter registrations this cycle and estimates 2.5 million registered Muslim voters in twelve states that will help decide control of Congress. Before Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary, CAIR and CAIR-Michigan ran a robocall campaign reaching more than 48,000 Muslim voters.

On the ground, organizers say priorities vary. At a gathering in Columbus, Ohio, this month, participants named the war in Gaza, immigration and free speech among their top concerns. Organizers also listed barriers to voting: law enforcement presence near polling places, transportation, ID requirements and registration deadlines. A second session is scheduled for Oct. 24.