Nadine Osman
A 21-year-old Democratic candidate has claimed a state legislature seat in Georgia, becoming the youngest lawmaker currently serving in the US state.
Muhammad Akbar Ali won the December 2, runoff election for Georgia’s House District 106, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State. He saw off fellow Democrat Marqus Cole in a closely watched contest in Gwinnett County, a fast-growing suburb northeast of Atlanta.
Ali, a graphic designer and former first vice chair of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party, will now represent a district in southwestern Gwinnett. The seat became vacant earlier this year when former representative Shelly Hutchinson stood down to care for a family member.
Ali and Cole progressed to the runoff after finishing as the top two candidates in a three-way special election on 4 November. Cole led in the first round, but Ali pulled ahead in the runoff, securing roughly 54% of the approximately 1,700 votes cast in the low-turnout race.
His victory makes him the youngest sitting member of Georgia’s state legislature, a distinction previously held by Democratic Representative Bryce Berry of Atlanta.
Ali, who campaigned on lowering the cost of living, won backing from several prominent Georgia Democrats, including Hutchinson, House Minority Caucus Whip Sam Park, and former governor Roy Barnes.
Cole, an organising director at an energy and environmental non-profit, campaigned on expanding healthcare access, improving housing affordability, and supporting public education. He was backed by state senator Nikki Merritt and Gwinnett County Solicitor General Lisamarie Bristol.
In a statement, Ali thanked supporters, saying, “Tonight, I am deeply honoured and humbled by the trust the voters of Georgia House District 106 have placed in me. This victory belongs to all of us.”
Feature photo: Muhammad Akbar Ali (Credit: Muhammad Akbar Ali/Facebook)
