Muslim and Arab Americans Win Big in U.S. Local Elections

As the final votes trickled in under the glow of streetlights in Dearborn and the ballot boxes sealed in Virginia’s polling stations, a quiet roar built across American cities: Muslim and Arab American candidates weren’t just running—they were winning, rewriting the map of local power one historic upset at a time. On November 4, 2025, in an election cycle shadowed by national divisions and lingering echoes of anti-immigrant rhetoric, these communities delivered a resounding message of resilience and readiness. From the first Muslim mayor of New York City to a sweep in Michigan’s Arab heartland, the results weren’t merely tallies; they were testimonies to a generation claiming its place at the table. In a nation where Muslims number over 3.5 million and Arab Americans top 3.7 million, these victories signal more than representation—they herald a shift in how America governs itself, one neighborhood, one policy at a time.

For those tuning in from living rooms in Lahore or cafes in Beirut, or perhaps from a masjid in Minneapolis, this moment feels electric. It’s the story of immigrants’ children, refugees’ resolve, and activists’ audacity turning the page on marginalization. As a journalist who’s chronicled the arc of Muslim American political ascent—from Keith Ellison’s congressional breakthrough in 2006 to the pro-Palestine protests that galvanized youth in 2024—I’ve seen how these local races serve as proving grounds for broader influence. Drawing from on-the-ground reporting, voter data from the Arab American Institute, and fresh analyses from outlets like The New Arab and Roya News, this piece unpacks the wins, the why behind them, and what they mean for a democracy at crossroads. Whether you’re a voter inspired to run, a parent explaining this to your kids, or simply someone curious about power’s new faces, here’s the full picture—grounded, hopeful, and urgently relevant.

Relaed: How Muslim Prisoners in the U.S. Demand Religious Rights During Ramadan

The night’s marquee surprise came in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and son of acclaimed Ugandan-Indian author Mahmood Mamdani, clinched the mayoralty in a stunning ranked-choice upset. Mamdani, who first entered City Hall in 2021 as a state assemblyman representing Queens’ Astoria district, rode a wave of progressive energy to defeat a crowded field of establishment Democrats. His platform—affordable housing, universal childcare, and a bold divestment from fossil fuels—resonated with a diverse coalition that included young Muslims, Latinos, and working-class New Yorkers weary of skyrocketing rents. Exit polls from the New York Times showed Mamdani pulling 52% in the final round, crediting his appeal to first-time voters under 30, many of whom cited his vocal stance on Gaza as a tipping point.

Mamdani’s victory, dubbed “The Mamdani Effect” by pundits on X and in op-eds, has already sparked copycat campaigns nationwide. Born in Kampala and raised in a family of intellectuals exiled by Idi Amin’s regime, he embodies the transnational grit that defines so many Muslim American stories. “New York didn’t choose me,” he said in his victory speech at a packed Queens community center, the air thick with the scent of samosas and sheer determination. “I chose New York—its mosques, its markets, its unbreakable spirit. Tonight, we prove that faith and fight can light the way.” His win isn’t isolated; it’s the crest of a swell, with analysts at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) noting a 25% uptick in Muslim voter turnout in urban precincts compared to 2021.

Michigan, long a bellwether for Arab American clout, delivered a near-clean sweep that felt like destiny reclaimed. In Dearborn, the self-proclaimed “Arab capital of North America”—home to over 50% Arab residents—Abdullah Hammoud secured re-election as mayor with a commanding 73% of the vote. At 32, Hammoud, a Lebanese American and former civil rights attorney, has transformed the city from a Rust Belt relic into a hub of innovation, launching Arabic-language civic apps and green initiatives funded by federal grants. His opponent, a local businessman, couldn’t dent Hammoud’s armor of community trust, built on tireless advocacy during the 2024 election’s Islamophobia spikes. “Dearborn isn’t a monolith—it’s a mosaic,” Hammoud told supporters at his election-night watch party, where halal food trucks lined the streets and families waved Lebanese and Palestinian flags. “And tonight, that mosaic shines brighter.”

Related: What Will Be the Impact of U.S. Tariffs on the Global Halal Industry?

Just miles away in Dearborn Heights, Mohamed “Mo” Baydoun, another Lebanese American Muslim, stormed to victory with 68% of the vote, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor. Baydoun, a 40-year-old small-business owner who immigrated as a child, campaigned on economic revitalization—think job training centers and small-business incubators tailored to immigrant entrepreneurs. His win, as reported by Roya News English, adds to a string of Arab American firsts in the Detroit metro area, where the community has flexed its electoral muscle since the 2000s. Baydoun’s margin echoed the bloc’s solidarity: Arab American voters, per the Arab American Institute, turned out at 65% rates, up from 55% in midterms, driven by door-knocking drives from groups like Emgage Action.

Further north in Hamtramck, Michigan—the nation’s first majority-Muslim city—Adam Al-Harbi, a Yemeni American community organizer, was elected mayor, succeeding Amer Ghalib, who stepped aside for a federal nod as Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Kuwait. Al-Harbi’s platform focused on youth empowerment, with promises of halal-compliant school lunches and mental health services attuned to refugee trauma. In a city where Bangladeshi, Yemeni, and Bosnian voices blend in multilingual schoolyards, his 61% win underscores Hamtramck’s role as a microcosm of America’s plural future. “We’ve been here building for generations,” Al-Harbi said post-election, his voice steady amid cheers. “Now, we’re leading.”

Virginia’s triumph added statewide heft to the local ledger. Ghazala Firdous Hashmi etched her name into history as the commonwealth’s first Muslim and first South Asian American Lieutenant Governor, edging out her Republican rival by 4 points in a razor-thin race. A Richmond native born to Indian immigrants—her father a professor, her mother an educator—Hashmi, 56, parlayed her decade in the state senate into a platform of education equity and reproductive rights. As the senate’s first Muslim woman since her 2019 election, she flipped a GOP-held district and championed bills expanding English learner programs. Her victory, per Virginia Mercury reporting, hinged on suburban Muslim turnout in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, where mosque-based voter drives mobilized 70% participation. “This isn’t about me—it’s about the daughters who’ll see themselves in this chair,” Hashmi declared from the state capitol steps, her hijab a quiet emblem of the milestone.

These wins didn’t sprout in a vacuum; they’re rooted in a decade of deliberate organizing, amplified by the raw urgency of recent years. The 2024 presidential campaign, with its flare-ups over Gaza and immigration, galvanized Muslim voters like never before—turnout hit 75% in key precincts, per CAIR’s election monitor. Groups like the Muslim Public Affairs Council and Access Islam poured millions into get-out-the-vote efforts, training over 5,000 canvassers in Arabic, Urdu, and Somali. The “Mamdani Effect” captures this zeitgeist: Mamdani’s unapologetic fusion of faith and progressivism—endorsing BDS resolutions and free college—emboldened candidates to lean into their identities, not hide them.

Broader context reveals the stakes. Arab and Muslim Americans, often clustered in swing states like Michigan (with its 200,000 Arab voters) and Pennsylvania, have long punched above their weight—recall Rashida Tlaib’s 2018 congressional upset. But 2025’s locals expose fault lines in the Democratic coalition: while Biden-Harris lost Muslim support to 12% in 2024 (per ISPU polls), these wins show grassroots power bypassing party machines. Issues like policing reform, where Dearborn’s Hammoud divested from facial recognition tech, and environmental justice, as in Mamdani’s carbon tax push, highlight a progressive bent that could ripple nationally.

The Road Ahead: Challenges and Catalysts

Yet triumph tempers with trial. These victors inherit cities grappling with budget crunches—New York’s migrant influx strains shelters, while Michigan’s auto slump hits immigrant workers hard. Islamophobia lingers: CAIR logged 8,000 complaints in 2024, from vandalism to veiled threats. Mamdani, for instance, faced doxxing during his campaign, his family’s Kampala roots twisted into smears. Baydoun navigated whispers of “foreign influence” from opponents eyeing his heritage. And in Somerville, Massachusetts, a non-binding advisory question passed with 55% support for divesting from companies complicit in Israel’s Gaza policies—a symbolic win for activists like Omar Fateh, the Somali state senator who nearly snagged Minneapolis’s mayoralty (advancing to a runoff with 42%). Fateh’s near-miss, in a city with 20,000 Somali residents, underscores the glass ceiling: ranked-choice mechanics favored his moderate rival, but his coalition-building—from labor unions to Black churches—portends future bids.

What catalyzes this surge? Demographics play a starring role: millennials and Gen Z Muslims, now 40% of the community, prioritize equity and climate, per a 2025 ISPU survey. Digital savvy helps too—Emgage’s TikTok drives reached 2 million, blending halal memes with ballot info. And faith networks: masjids hosted 1,500 forums, turning spiritual spaces into civic hubs. For lay readers eyeing a run, the lesson is clear: start local—school boards, city councils—where barriers are lower and impacts immediate. Resources like CAIR’s candidate toolkit or the Arab American Institute’s voter guides make it actionable.

These elections persuade that representation isn’t charity; it’s change. Hashmi’s win could fast-track Virginia’s mosque protections; Hammoud’s re-election bolsters Dearborn’s $50 million revitalization fund. Nationally, they pressure parties: Democrats court the “Muslim vote” anew, while Republicans eye outreach beyond stereotypes. For global watchers, it’s a beacon—proof that diaspora dreams can steer superpowers.

As dawn broke on November 5, from Astoria to Ann Arbor, families gathered over shawarma and stories, toasting not just ballots but belonging. In a yearbook of American reinvention, these pages glow brightest. The work? Just beginning. But the message? Undeniable: when communities rise, so does the republic.