By By Danlette Washington
The 2026 U.S. midterm elections brought stories of representation and historic political milestones into the spotlight. Across the country, candidates with immigrant backgrounds and family roots from around the world competed for public office, with many securing victories.
Seven Stories of Representation and Historic Breakthroughs
Bernice David-Cooper: Liberian-Born Woman Makes History in Minnesota
For Liberians in the United States, Bernice David-Cooper’s victory in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was a moment of particular significance. The Liberian-born candidate won the city’s West District City Council race with 51.2% of the vote, defeating incumbent candidate Tonja West-Hafner.
David-Cooper’s election marks a historic milestone as the first Liberian-born woman elected to the Brooklyn Park City Council. She moved to the United States from Liberia at age 12 and built a career in social work. Her victory is especially meaningful in a city with a substantial Liberian community, offering a visible example of an immigrant voice entering local government.
Her achievement demonstrates that political representation does not begin and end in Washington. Local government is often where decisions affecting families, neighborhoods, public safety, housing, and community services are made.
Melat Kiros: Ethiopian-Born Trailblazer Enters Congress at 29
Melat Kiros made history in Colorado by winning the race for the state’s 1st Congressional District. At 29, the Ethiopian-born Democrat is set to become the first Black woman elected to represent Colorado in the U.S. House and the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress.
Kiros immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was an infant. Her victory represents a significant milestone for both the Ethiopian American community and younger generations seeking a greater role in national politics.
Her rise was also politically notable. After defeating longtime Democratic incumbent Diana DeGette in the primary, Kiros went on to win the general election, securing approximately 78% of the vote, according to election-night reporting.
Her journey from an immigrant family to a seat in the nation’s legislature reflects the growing influence of younger Americans whose backgrounds connect them to communities around the world.
Abdul El-Sayed: Egyptian American Makes History in the U.S. Senate
Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan marks another historic moment in the 2026 elections. The Egyptian American Democrat is set to become the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.
Born in Michigan to Egyptian immigrant parents, El-Sayed’s story illustrates why the immigrant experience should not be defined by birthplace alone. Although he was born in the United States, his family’s migration history is an important part of his background.
Screenshot
A physician, public health expert, and former public health director in Detroit, El-Sayed entered the Senate race with experience in public health and government. His election is a milestone for Muslim Americans and communities whose family histories are rooted in immigration.
His achievement also builds on the growing presence of Muslim Americans in elected office while breaking a barrier at the highest level of the U.S. legislature.
Gina Hinojosa: Texas Elects Its First Latina Governor
Gina Hinojosa made history by defeating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott to become Texas’s first Latina governor. Her victory also ends more than three decades of Republican control of the governor’s office, making her election one of the most consequential state-level outcomes of the midterms.
Hinojosa’s achievement is an important milestone for Latina representation in a state with a large Hispanic population. Her election places a woman from a historically underrepresented community in one of the country’s most influential state executive offices.
Unlike several other candidates featured in this report, Hinojosa was born in the United States. Her inclusion highlights the broader diversity of American political representation, although her Latina identity alone does not establish an immigrant family background.
Naquetta Ricks: Liberian American Representation Continues in Colorado
Naquetta Ricks remains an important figure in the story of Liberian representation in American politics. A Liberian-born lawmaker representing Colorado’s House District 40, Ricks became the first Liberian American elected to a state legislature in the United States.
Ricks secured another term in the Colorado House in the 2026 elections, marking her fourth term in office and extending her historic political journey.
Her personal story is rooted in Liberia’s difficult history. She fled the country’s 1980 military coup with her mother and sister before settling in Aurora, Colorado.
Ricks has continued to serve in the Colorado House, where her work has helped bring the experiences and concerns of immigrant communities into state-level policymaking. Her re-election keeps a historic door open for Liberian Americans and other immigrant communities seeking representation in public office.
Ilhan Omar: Somali-Born Congresswoman Wins Another Term
Ilhan Omar remains one of the most recognizable examples of immigrant representation in American politics. Born in Somalia, Omar came to the United States as a refugee with her family and later became one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress in 2018.
Her re-election in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District extends her service in the U.S. House and reinforces the political presence of Somali Americans and the wider Muslim community.
Omar’s journey from refugee to member of Congress has made her a prominent figure in conversations about immigration, representation, and the participation of people from immigrant backgrounds in American democracy. Her political career has also drawn national attention and controversy, making her one of the most closely watched voices in Congress.
Nathan Biah: Liberian-Born Lawmaker Secures Another Term in Rhode Island
Nathan Biah continued his political journey in Rhode Island, winning re-election to represent District 3 in the state House of Representatives.
Born in Monrovia, Liberia, Biah has served in the Rhode Island legislature since January 2021. His latest victory was decisive. Unofficial election results showed him receiving 97.76% of the vote, with 2,003 votes, compared with 46 write-in votes.
Biah’s continued presence in the state legislature is a source of representation for Liberians and other immigrant communities. His political career also demonstrates the role immigrants can play in shaping public policy and serving their adopted communities at the state level.
Beyond the seven other immigrant and diaspora Voices in the elections, the 2026 elections also featured candidates from Nigerian, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Indian, Caribbean, and other immigrant communities. Their victories and campaigns further demonstrate the expanding reach of immigrant-family representation in American public life.
Several candidates with African roots secured victories in congressional, state legislative, and local government races.
Adrian Boafo, a Ghanaian American Democrat, won Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, adding another African-diaspora voice to the U.S. House.
Moreover, Gabe Amo, the Rhode Island congressman whose family background includes Ghanaian and Liberian roots, won re-election to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District.
In Minnesota, Kenyan-born Sam Mwangi won a seat on the Champlin City Council, while Kenyan-born state representative Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley secured another term in the state legislature.
Nigerian American politician Will Jawando won the Montgomery County Executive race in Maryland. Junior Ezeonu also secured a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, while Oye Owolewa won a seat on the Washington, D.C., Council.
In Pennsylvania, Nigerian American state representative Carol Kazeem won re-election. Georgia state representatives Gabe Okoye and Segun Adeyina, both of Nigerian heritage, also secured another term in office.
These victories reflect the growing participation of New Americans in American political life, from local councils to state legislatures and the U.S. Congress.
Beyond the African diaspora, the victories of candidates from Hispanic, Muslim, Caribbean, and other communities demonstrate the evolving character of American political representation.
Their stories reflect the diversity of the American immigrant experience. Some came to the United States as children or adults, while others were born on American soil and raised in families shaped by migration, sacrifice, and the pursuit of opportunity. Together, they represent communities whose voices and contributions are becoming increasingly visible in American politics.
Support the New Americans magazine to continue to serve our community with precise news that affect the new American, immigrant and refugee community. https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LHFS78NRNJJY&source=url
Screenshot
