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New Jersey
New Jersey is set to make history with the election of Dr. Adam Hamawy, who will become the state’s first Muslim American representative in the US Congress. The Democrat secured a decisive victory in the 12th Congressional District, defeating Republican Gregg Mele in the November 4 election.
According to preliminary results, Hamawy received 70.2 per cent of the votes, against Mele’s 28.3 per cent, with approximately 93 per cent of ballots counted. He will succeed retiring Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman and is scheduled to take office on January 3, 2027.
A South Brunswick resident and former Army combat surgeon, Hamawy highlighted healthcare affordability, immigration reform and economic inequality during his campaign. His platform also called for redirecting military expenditure towards domestic priorities, including education, healthcare and infrastructure.
Welcoming the historic outcome, Watson Coleman described his victory as another milestone in the district’s political legacy. Hamawy, meanwhile, used his election-night address to challenge perceptions of Muslim Americans’ place in the country, emphasising their longstanding presence in American society.
His victory comes amid a broader Democratic resurgence in New Jersey, where the party secured majority of the state’s 12 congressional seats.