Elham Asaad Buaras
In a powerful demonstration of growing political integration and influence, American Muslim candidates achieved a record number of electoral victories in the November 4, elections, securing positions from city halls to a pivotal statewide office.
According to a provisional tally released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its political action arm, CAIR Action, 38 Muslim candidates have clinched confirmed wins. With 76 names on ballots nationwide and several races still undecided or heading for recounts, this figure is anticipated to rise, solidifying a trend of surging Muslim American civic engagement.
The election night was punctuated by several landmark achievements that signal a broadening acceptance and representation of the Muslim community in American politics.
The most symbolic victory came in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani secured a historic win to become the metropolis’s first Muslim mayor. His election marks a new chapter for one of the nation’s most prominent political arenas.
However, the most significant breakthrough for national representation occurred in Virginia. Ghazala Firdous Hashmi, an educator and state senator, was elected Lieutenant Governor, shattering two barriers at once. She becomes the first Muslim and the first Indian American ever elected to a statewide office in the United States.
Hashmi’s political ascent has been rapid. She first entered the political fray in 2019, flipping a Republican-held Virginia State Senate seat to become the first Muslim woman in the chamber. After a successful re-election in 2023, her victory on November 4, 2025, propels her into a role of national significance. At 61, she will preside over the Virginia State Senate and hold a critical tie-breaking vote in a chamber where Democrats hold a fragile 20-19 majority.
The following candidates represent confirmed 2025 election wins by Muslim Americans at the state, local, and judicial levels across nine states, marking another year of growing civic participation and representation.
In her victory speech in Richmond, Hashmi framed her win as an American story. “This was possible because of the depth and breadth of the opportunities made available in this country and in this commonwealth,” she told supporters. She highlighted her personal journey, rooted in education and perseverance, stating, “I hope my election reminds every child, no matter their faith, colour, or where they come from, that they belong. That they, too, can help build a better America.”
Hashmi’s legislative record established her as a leading progressive voice, having co-sponsored the Right to Contraception Act and championed public education funding, healthcare access, and reproductive rights. She has cited the anti-Muslim policies of the Trump administration, including the travel ban, as a key motivator for her initial run for office.
The momentum extended to the Midwest, where Somali American politician Omar Fateh forced a runoff in the Minneapolis mayoral race under the state’s ranked-choice voting system. A state senator since 2021—the first Somali and Muslim to serve in that body—Fateh ran on a democratic socialist platform aligned with Mayor-Elect Mamdani, focusing on economic justice and affordable housing. He has received prominent backing from Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.
In Michigan, a key hub for Arab and Muslim American political power, incumbents solidified their positions. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, the city’s first Muslim and Arab American mayor, won a resounding second term with 73 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, in Dearborn Heights, Mo Baydoun, who had been serving as acting mayor, secured a full term with 68 percent of the vote.
⚡️Abdullah Hammoud secured a significant electoral victory in Dearborn, Michigan, garnering nearly 72% of the votes
— S2FUncensored (@S2FUncensored) November 8, 2025
Thus solidifying his position as the first Arab-American and Muslim to lead the city. pic.twitter.com/Cy0cdQlN6b
In their analysis, CAIR and CAIR Action contextualized these victories as hard-won triumphs against a backdrop of bigotry. The organizations praised the “extraordinary courage and integrity” of every Muslim candidate, noting that many “won despite facing a wave of anti-Muslim hate and organised disinformation.”
“Those who prevailed now carry the trust of their entire communities—regardless of faith—to serve with a commitment to the common good,” the statement read. “At a time when many American Muslim candidates endured slander, harassment, and overt Islamophobia, their strength and dedication to public service send a clear message: bigotry has no place in American politics.”
The groups also signaled a forward-looking strategy, vowing to “mobilise the American Muslim community to reach even greater heights of civic engagement in the 2026 midterm elections.”
Feature photos: Democrat Ghazala Firdous Hashmi makes history as Virginia’s new lieutenant governor, becoming the first Muslim and Indian American elected to statewide office in the US and the first Muslim woman to hold such a role. Above: Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks to the press after casting his vote in Astoria, Queens, on November 4, 2025.(Credits: Hashmi Campaign/Wiki Commons; Selçuk Acar/Anadolu Agency)
