An unprecedented number of Muslim American candidates are entering political races across the United States following groundbreaking victories in November 2025, with prominent figures from Michigan and North Carolina announcing campaigns that signal a transformative shift in American political representation.
New Candidates Join Growing Movement
Layla Elabed, the Arab Muslim American co-founder of the Uncommitted movement that organized Democratic protest votes over the Israel-Hamas conflict, recently announced her candidacy for state office in Michigan. Her campaign follows North Carolina’s Nida Allam, the first Muslim woman elected to office in that state, who entered the congressional race this week to challenge Rep. Valerie Foushee in the Democratic primary. These prominent candidates join Abdul El-Sayed, who announced in April 2025 his bid for Michigan’s vacant Senate seat in the 2026 election.
The ‘Mamdani Effect’ Reshapes Political Landscape
“We are witnessing the ‘Mamdani effect,’ which is inspiring many more individuals to consider running for office,” said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Action, according to The Hill. The phenomenon takes its name from Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist who made history in November 2025 by becoming New York City’s first Muslim mayor, winning with 50.4% of the vote. That same night, Virginia elected Ghazala Hashmi as the first Muslim woman to hold statewide office, with 95 percent of Muslim voters supporting her candidacy.
Record-Breaking Electoral Success
The 2025 election cycle produced historic results for Muslim American representation, with at least 42 Muslim Americans winning elected office across nine states, marking the largest number of Muslim victories in American political history. According to CAIR’s tracking data, 76 Muslim candidates ran for public office nationwide, with 38 securing confirmed victories—a success rate that reflects growing political infrastructure within the community. The newly elected officials include five mayors, four state legislators, two judges, and dozens of city council, school board, and county officials.
Shifting Political Dynamics
“I believe next year will be a significant test for the American Muslim community, and both political parties will take notice,” Elkarra stated, highlighting the emergence of new candidates and increased voter turnout from this demographic. Muslim Americans constitute just over 1 percent of the national electorate but have demonstrated outsized influence in key battleground states. According to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s American Muslim Poll 2025, an impressive 85 percent of legally eligible Muslim voters are now registered.
The community’s political trajectory has been shaped partly by frustration over foreign policy, particularly regarding the Gaza conflict, which contributed to President Trump’s narrow victory in Michigan during the 2024 election. Despite historically leaning Democratic, recent years have seen a considerable decline in the party’s advantage among Muslim voters, according to Pew Research.
Building Momentum for Future Elections
According to Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage, an organization focused on educating and mobilizing Muslim voters, Mamdani’s victory has reignited momentum for Muslim Americans and progressives across the political spectrum. The political group Run for Something reported that Mamdani’s election has sparked heightened interest among young people and progressives in running for office. This surge follows previous milestones, including the election of the first two Muslim congresswomen in 2018 and the record 82 Muslims elected during the 2022 midterms.
Organizations like Boston’s Jetpac, founded in 2015, have worked to strengthen American Muslim political infrastructure by providing candidates with skills and resources to win elections. “These candidates are not winning because they are Muslim; they are winning because they are qualified, credible, and connected to their communities,” noted Dr. Dalia Mogahed, director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.