At least 97 Muslim American candidates have won office in the 2026 US midterm elections, a record showing that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says reflects the community’s growing political power. The victories span federal, state and local government across 21 states, and the total is expected to pass 100 once the remaining races are decided.
CAIR and its political arm, CAIR Action, released the preliminary tally on 5 November, tracking 168 Muslim candidates who advanced past their primaries. Of those, 97 had confirmed victories, 50 had lost, another 15 were leading in races not yet called and six were in contests too close to call. The 97 wins surpass the 82 Muslim victories CAIR recorded in the 2022 midterms by about 18 per cent, setting a new midterm record in the group’s tracking.
The headline victories
The most historically significant win belongs to Dr Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s open US Senate seat, defeating Republican Mike Rogers by about 52 per cent to 46 per cent to become the first Muslim ever elected to the United States Senate. In New Jersey, Adam Hamawy won the 12th Congressional District, becoming the first Muslim to represent the state in the US Congress, and Darializa Avila Chevalier won New York’s 13th Congressional District.
In California, Aisha Wahab declared victory in the 14th Congressional District, although the final result was still awaiting official confirmation in CAIR’s preliminary report. Incumbents Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, André Carson of Indiana and Lateefah Simon of California all won re-election to the House. Aber Kawas won New York’s 12th State Senate District, becoming the first Palestinian American and Muslim woman elected to the New York State Legislature.
A record built from the ground up
Most of the victories came below the federal level: 38 of the 97 confirmed wins were in state legislative races, with the rest spread across county and local offices. In Georgia alone, Muslim candidates won five seats, including Akbar Ali and Farooq Mughal in the State House and Ruwa Romman and Shaikh Rahman in the State Senate.
CAIR cautioned that its figures are preliminary and subject to official certification, and said the totals could rise as the remaining races are decided. Its final count is due next Monday. The organisation said the results came despite a wave of anti-Muslim attacks during the campaign, including advertisements targeting Muslims in Georgia and Texas, and described the outcome as a broad rejection of anti-Muslim hate by voters.
Sources: CAIR via Muslim Network TV (6 Nov 2026); Annahda (7 Nov 2026); Jawawa (7 Nov 2026); Indonesia Now (7 Nov 2026); Mr Pakistan (6 Nov 2026); CAIR-Georgia (5 Nov 2026).
