List of Muslim members of the United States Congress
This is a list of Muslim members of the United States Congress.
As of 2023[update], only four Muslim Americans have ever been elected to Congress, the first being Keith Ellison in 2006.[1] Three Muslims currently serve in Congress, all in the House of Representatives. All four are Democrats.
Senate
[edit]No Muslim has ever served in the United States Senate. In 2022, Mehmet Oz became the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, making him the first Muslim to be nominated by a major party for the U.S. Senate.[2][3] Oz lost the general election to Pennsylvania lieutenant governor John Fetterman.
House of Representatives
[edit]In addition to the representatives below, former representative Hansen Clarke (D) of Michigan, was raised in a Muslim family but converted to Catholicism.[citation needed]
| Representative | Party | District | Term | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Length of service (days) | ||||||
|
Keith Ellison | Democratic | MN-05 | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2019 | 4,383 (12 years, 0 days) |
First Muslim in Congress. Converted to Islam in 1982. Retired to run successfully for Minnesota Attorney General.[1] | |
|
André Carson | Democratic | IN-07 | March 11, 2008 | Incumbent | 6,126 (16 years, 282 days) |
Raised Baptist, converted to Islam as a teenager.[4] | |
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|
Ilhan Omar | Democratic | MN-05 | January 3, 2019 | Incumbent | 2,176 (5 years, 350 days) |
First of two Muslim women in Congress. First Muslim to succeed another Muslim. Born to a Muslim family in Somalia and immigrated as a refugee to the United States in 1995.[5] | |
|
Rashida Tlaib | Democratic | MI-13 | January 3, 2019 | Incumbent | 2,176 (5 years, 350 days) |
First of two Muslim women in Congress. Born to a Muslim family of Palestinian immigrants.[6] | |
|
Lateefah Simon | Democratic | CA-12 | January 3, 2025 | Elect | −16 (−16 days) |
[7] | |
See also
[edit]- List of Buddhist members of the United States Congress
- List of Hindu members of the United States Congress
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
- List of Mormon members of the United States Congress
- List of Quaker members of the United States Congress
- List of Arab and Middle Eastern Americans in the United States Congress
References
[edit]- ^ a b Lohn, Martiga (September 14, 2006). "Islamic Convert Wins House Nomination". Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ^ Hammond, Joseph (December 2, 2021). "Celebrity surgeon Dr. Oz seeks to be first Muslim elected to the US Senate". Religion News.
- ^ Gabriel, Trip (June 3, 2022). "David McCormick Concedes to Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania GOP Senate Primary". The New York Times.
- ^ Garsd, Jasmine (January 13, 2013). "Rep. André Carson To Become First Muslim On House Committee On Intelligence". NPR.
- ^ Golden, Erin (November 7, 2018). "Ilhan Omar makes history, becoming first Somali-American elected to U.S. House". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minn. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^ Herndon, Astead W. (August 8, 2018). "Rashida Tlaib, With Primary Win, Is Poised to Become First Muslim Woman in Congress". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- ^ mushfiqahmad (November 7, 2024). "Muslims now have a fourth Congressperson elected". Muslim Network TV. Retrieved November 9, 2024.