Menu

Topics

Connect

Comments

Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.

In historic first, 2 Muslim women elected to Congress in 2018 U.S. midterms

Ilhan Omar becomes first Somali-American elected to Congress – Nov 7, 2018

American voters have made history by sending two Muslim women to Congress for the first time.

Story continues below advertisement

The 2018 U.S. midterms, widely billed as a referendum on the presidency of Donald Trump, saw voters make history by electing Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar on the Democratic ballots as part of the wave of opposition that saw huge numbers of women running for public office.

READ MORE: Democrats steal House seats from Republicans in key Virginia, Florida races

Tlaib won Michigan’s 13th district, running unopposed.

She was joined shortly after on Tuesday night by Omar, who ran for the Democrats in Minnesota’s fifth district.

WATCH: Video coverage of midterm elections
Story continues below advertisement

Tlaib’s win comes after the 2016 election of Trump spurred a record number of women to put their names on the ballot.

A total of 239 women were on the ballot for the midterms.

READ MORE: Beto O’Rourke bids to oust Ted Cruz, become Texas’ first Democratic senator in 30 years

The vast majority, 187, of those were running as Democrats.

Fifty-two were Republicans.

WATCH: Somalis react to first Muslim U.S. Representatives

For Tlaib, Tuesday’s election marks the second time she will have made history in recent years.

Story continues below advertisement

In 2008, she became the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan state legislature. She used that record of taking on corporate interests and defending local priorities as part of her campaign for election as a congressional representative.

WATCH BELOW: Women’s rights are top of mind in U.S. midterm elections

Her parents were Palestinian immigrants from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Story continues below advertisement

Omar, on the other hand, is a refugee from Somalia.

Ilhan Omar in an October file photo. REUTERS/Brian Snyder. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

She is not only the second Muslim women elected in Congress but also the first Somali-American.

She campaigned on a platform calling for free tuition and promising to fight to expand Medicare coverage to all Americans.

WATCH BELOW: All the wins and losses of the midterms

Advertisement
Advertisement

You are viewing an Accelerated Mobile Webpage.

View Original Article