At least 42 Muslim Americans won elected office across the United States in the November 4, 2025, elections, including New York City’s first Muslim mayor and Virginia’s first Muslim woman to hold statewide office, marking the most significant expansion of Muslim political representation in American history, according to multiple news organizations. The sweeping victories, achieved amid a Democratic wave that rejected the Trump administration’s policies, represent what political scientists describe as a transformative moment for Muslim civic engagement, 24 years after the September 11 attacks reshaped perceptions of Muslim Americans.
Mamdani Shatters New York City’s Highest Glass Ceiling
Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and New York State assemblyman, made history by winning New York City’s mayoral race with 50.4% of the vote, securing approximately 1,036,051 votes to become the city’s first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born mayor, according to CBS News and The Indian Express. The Associated Press, NBC News, and CNN announced Mamdani’s victory at 9:30 p.m. on November 4 when he surpassed the million-vote threshold, defeating independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, who garnered approximately 850,000 votes.
The AP Voter Poll showed that Muslim voters backed Mamdani at a rate of 90% despite Muslims making up only 4% of New York City voters. USA Today reported that Mamdani served three terms in the New York State Assembly for Queens before becoming the first South Asian man and the first Ugandan to hold that position.
“No more will New York be a city where you can traffic in Islamophobia and win an election.”
— Zohran Mamdani, in his victory speech
Mamdani based his campaign on affordable prices for working-class voters through his support for free public transportation, cost-free childcare, and protected rent rates for stabilized apartments, according to Arab American News. The New York Times documented how his grassroots movement achieved historic voter turnout from Muslim and South Asian communities while creating an economically based coalition that ignored religious backgrounds.
Hashmi Makes History in Virginia
Ghazala Hashmi achieved a parallel breakthrough by winning Virginia’s lieutenant governor race, becoming the first Muslim woman and first Indian American elected to statewide office in any U.S. state, according to The New York Times and Al Jazeera. The 61-year-old state senator and former college professor, who immigrated from Hyderabad, India, at age four, defeated her Republican opponent on November 4.
In her victory address, Hashmi said, “This was achievable because of the extensive range of opportunities available in this country and in this commonwealth,” according to Al Jazeera. The BBC reported that Hashmi first made history in 2019 when she won a Virginia State Senate seat previously held by a Republican, becoming the first Muslim and first South Asian American in that chamber.
Hashmi’s campaign focused on economic issues, education, and access to childcare, according to Al Jazeera. Polling data from the Wason Center at Christopher Newport University showed her leading her Republican opponent by 9 points in the final weeks of the campaign.
Confronting Islamophobia During the Campaign
Both Mamdani and Hashmi faced anti-Muslim rhetoric during their campaigns, though voters ultimately rejected such attacks. President Donald Trump publicly threatened to withhold federal funding from New York City if Mamdani won, according to ABC News. During a radio appearance, opponent Andrew Cuomo made a controversial statement saying, “God forbid another 9/11 would happen while Mamdani sat in office,” as reported by ABC News.
Mamdani addressed these attacks directly during an emotional speech at the Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx on October 24, according to USA Today. Recalling advice from an older community member during his first Assembly campaign six years ago to hide his faith, Mamdani declared: “That era is over. I will no longer seek my identity in the shadows. I will embrace my identity in the light”.
Nationwide Surge in Muslim Representation
The November 4 elections saw Muslim Americans winning positions across multiple states and at various levels of government, according to Muslim Network TV. Youssef Chouhoud, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University, told The Times of Israel: “It sends a powerful message that Muslims are not just part of this nation’s civic fabric, we help shape it”.
“For years, American Muslims have worked to show that we belong in this society. Mamdani is showing that we belong in the halls of power, and that we’re ready to lead,” Chouhoud added.
The election results come after years of sustained community organizing and increased Muslim political engagement, according to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s American Muslim Poll 2025, which showed that 85% of legally eligible Muslim voters are registered.
Democrats Sweep Major Races
The Muslim victories occurred within a broader Democratic sweep of the November 4 elections, which marked the first major electoral test of President Trump’s second term, according to CNN and Al Jazeera. Democrats won gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, and California voters approved Proposition 50, which allows state Democratic lawmakers to redraw congressional district lines.
ABC News reported that Abigail Spanberger made history as Virginia’s first female governor in the state’s 236-year history, part of what the BBC described as voters expressing dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s policies, including an ongoing government shutdown.
Building on Previous Gains
The 2025 victories build on momentum established in earlier elections this year, according to The Indian Express. In May 2025, Amir Omar won Richardson, Texas’s mayoral race with 55% of the vote, becoming the city's first Muslim mayor after previously serving as the first Muslim elected to municipal office in North Texas in 2009.
These wins represent a significant evolution from 2024, when all three sitting Muslim members of the U.S. Congress—Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), and André Carson (Indiana)—secured re-election with decisive margins of 77.13%, 76.37%, and 68.2% respectively, according to Samaa TV and The Tribune.