Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar celebrated the election of Abdul El-Sayed to the US Senate, noting that his win would bring the number of Muslims serving in Congress to eight. This marks a milestone for Muslim American political representation.
“Congratulations, Abdul El-Sayed,” Omar wrote on X. “You turned that inshallah into alhamdulillah.”
She added, “I am overwhelmed with gratitude knowing that we will now have 8 Muslims serving in Congress. They told us we couldn't speak up, couldn't challenge the status quo, and couldn't make it this far. But we did. Alhamdulillah.”
Deep Dive
How many Muslims will serve in Congress after Abdul El-Sayed's victory?
Why did Ilhan Omar celebrate Abdul El-Sayed's Senate victory?
Who is Abdul El-Sayed, and what was historic about his election?
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{{/usCountry}}Muslim candidates secured victories in several congressional races in the 2026 midterm elections, including El-Sayed's Senate victory. The eight-member group comprises one senator and seven House members.
Abdul El-Sayed and Ilhan Omar’s victories
El-Sayed, a left-wing Democrat, won in the battleground state of Michigan to become the US' first Muslim senator. He bested Republican Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed’s victory came after his Democratic primary rival, Haley Stevens, endorsed Rogers just days before the election.
Omar, on the other hand, secured a fifth term by defeating Republican nominee John Nagel in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District race Tuesday evening, November 3.
Omar has represented the district since 2019. The district encompasses Minneapolis and its inner-ring suburbs, and is the most Democratic district in the state and the entire nation.
Omar won decisively over Julie T. Le, Abena McKenzie, Latonya Reeves and Nate Schluter in August's primary. The Minnesota DFL Party endorsed her at its state convention in May.
Omar has been under increased legal and political scrutiny following a recent FBI search of her Washington residence. Tom Homan previously said that the feds have built “a strong case” that could result in the Trump administration seeking to denaturalize Omar. The congresswoman has lived in the US since her family emigrated from Somalia in 1995.