India-born Democrat Saba Haider has made history in the United States after winning a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, becoming the first South Asian woman to be elected to the state's General Assembly.
Her mother, Shahnaz Haider, who lives in Ghaziabad, expressed happiness over her daughter's achievement, saying the victory made years of hard work and dedication worthwhile.
‘My life has been successful’
Saba Haider's mother in Ghaziabad expressed immense pride and joy over her daughter's victory, saying the win had made years of hard work and sacrifice worthwhile.
“My life has been successful. Everyone is saying that my daughter is the first immigrant woman to reach that position. I feel that by achieving something so significant, she has made all my hard work successful. We stayed awake the entire night. Around 6.30 to 7.00 am, when we received her phone call, she said, 'Mummy, I am winner,' I literally jumped out of my chair. I informed her brothers and her father that Saba had won, and everyone celebrated with so much joy. Everyone started jumping around in happiness, and I said that the hard work and devotion we had put in for all these days has finally borne fruit today,” her mother told news agency PTI.
Haider secured a decisive victory in the November 3 US midterm elections, winning the 84th district with 70.9 per cent of the votes. She received 20,756 votes, defeating Republican candidate Brian Scopa, who polled 8,520 votes, accounting for 29.1 per cent of the total, according to Associated Press numbers.
{{/usCountry}}Haider secured a decisive victory in the November 3 US midterm elections, winning the 84th district with 70.9 per cent of the votes. She received 20,756 votes, defeating Republican candidate Brian Scopa, who polled 8,520 votes, accounting for 29.1 per cent of the total, according to Associated Press numbers.
{{/usCountry}}The constituency covers parts of Will, DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties, including Aurora, Naperville, Oswego, Montgomery and Boulder Hill.
Saba Haider thanks voters after election victory
Reacting to her victory, Haider thanked voters, supporters and campaign volunteers, saying the campaign involved months of reaching out to residents across the constituency.
"We did it! We worked hard for the last 15 months talking to voters in every corner of District 84 to learn what they care about, what they want to see change, and how we can work together to build stronger, more prosperous, and more inclusive communities," Haider said in a social media post on Thursday.
She described the campaign as a "grassroots, people-powered movement" and acknowledged the contributions of her family, friends, campaign team and volunteers.
"Ultimately this election was about the people who call this community home. It was about building the future we all deserve," she said.
Haider added that her win represented everyone who wanted Illinois to remain "a fair, just, and welcoming place for all".
"Onwards and upwards!" she said.
From Bulandshahr to Illinois politics: Who is Saba Haider?
Born in India, Haider's family traces its roots to Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh. She moved to the United States around 20 years ago and has since been involved in community service and public affairs, PTI reported.
Before winning a seat in the Illinois legislature, she served as a member of the DuPage County Board and worked as a community advocate.
During her election campaign, Haider spoke about her commitment to the community that helped her family settle in Illinois.
"Since then, I've dedicated my life towards giving back to the community that helped me and my family make Illinois our home," Haider said during her campaign.
She also expressed her intention to take residents' concerns to Springfield, the state capital, and work with elected representatives to address issues affecting working families.
"I know firsthand the struggles our working families are going through, and I want to work with our elected officials to find solutions to the problems we all face," Haider said during her poll campaign.