Somali-Americans shine in US midterm elections
A picture of Mana Abdi, the first Somali American to be elected to the Maine Legislature, standing in front of Maine State House. Credit: Mana Abdi Twitter page.
Three Somali-Americans have starred in the ongoing US midterm elections as stiff competition between the Democrats and the Republicans over the control of the House of Representatives and Senate continues.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar defeated Republican challenger Cicely Davis late on Tuesday to represent Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District for a third successive term.
“In Minnesota we don’t just welcome refugees, we send them back to Congress,” Omar tweeted shortly after her victory.
Meanwhile, 42-year-old Samakab Hussein was elected to the Minnesota Legislature.
He received 71 percent of the vote to represent Minnesota House District 65A.
Hussein immigrated to the US when he was 14 years old.
Mana Abdi also made history after becoming the first Somali-American lawmaker for the Maine House of Representatives from District 95 in Lewiston.
The 26-year-old Abdi who immigrated to the US at age 11, ran unopposed after Republican Fred Sanborn-Silvers bowed out of the race in August, paving way for her historic victory.
Like Omar, both Hussein and Abdi ran on Democratic tickets.
