Somali Americans in public office

Who are the Somali Americans in public office?

Somali Americans hold or have held office at every level from school boards to the US House of Representatives. Most are in Minnesota, with others in Ohio, Maine, Washington state, Georgia and Wisconsin. This page lists every one found in published sources, grouped by level of office. Background on the community is on the United States page.

The first is usually given as Hussein Samatar, elected to the Minneapolis school board in November 2010 (MPR News, 3 November 2010). Reports at the time called him the first Somali immigrant elected to public office in Minnesota and possibly in the country (MinnPost, November 2010).

Who represents Somali Americans in Congress?

Ilhan Omar (Democrat) has represented Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis, since January 2019 (Office of Rep. Ilhan Omar). Her office lists her as the first African refugee in Congress and one of the first two Muslim American women elected to it (omar.house.gov). A fuller profile is on her people page.

• Early life: Born in Somalia, her family fled the civil war when she was eight and spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya (omar.house.gov). She settled in Minneapolis in 1997 (omar.house.gov).
• Before Congress: She worked as a community educator at the University of Minnesota and as a senior policy aide at Minneapolis City Council (omar.house.gov). In November 2016 she won a Minnesota House seat, reported as the first Somali American state lawmaker in the country (Christian Science Monitor, 9 November 2016).
• Committees and caucuses: Her office lists the House Budget Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee (omar.house.gov). She is deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (same source).

Public controversies, as recorded:

• March 2019: After comments by Omar that critics called antisemitic, the House passed H.Res.183 by 407 to 23 (House Clerk, Roll Call 108; NPR, 7 March 2019). The final text condemned antisemitism, anti-Muslim discrimination and other bigotry, and did not name her (Roll Call, 7 March 2019).
• February 2023: The Republican-led House removed her from the Foreign Affairs Committee, 218 to 211, citing six of her statements (Congressional Record, 2 February 2023; H.Res.76 text). The chair of the Progressive Caucus called the resolution an attack on her (Congressional Progressive Caucus, February 2023).
• September 2025: A resolution to censure her over remarks after the killing of Charlie Kirk was tabled, 214 to 213 (Congressional Record, 17 September 2025). Its sponsor said members "chose to protect Ilhan Omar"; Omar wrote "Finally some sanity in the House" (ABC News, 17 September 2025).
• October 2026: Homeland Security agents searched her Washington home in what the Justice Department called a criminal investigation (MPR News, 3 November 2026). Some officials linked it to unproven claims about her immigration history; she denied wrongdoing and called it intimidation (same source).

She won a fifth term on 3 November 2026, defeating Republican John Nagel (MPR News, 3 November 2026; Dawan, November 2026).

Which Somali Americans sit in state legislatures?

After the 2026 election, Somali Americans held six seats in the Minnesota Legislature, all for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) (Dawan, November 2026). Ohio and Maine first elected Somali American lawmakers in 2022.

Minnesota

Noor came to Minnesota in 1999 after seeking asylum in Kenya, and once led the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota (LRL; Mshale, December 2018). Hassan and Noor were founding members of the United Black Legislative Caucus (LRL).

In 2022 a federal jury convicted a volunteer on Fateh's 2020 campaign, his brother-in-law, of lying to a grand jury about delivering three absentee ballots (Minnesota Reformer, 10 May 2022). Fateh said he was "troubled by this conviction," and a Senate ethics complaint against him was later dropped (MPR News, 10 May 2022; Sahan Journal).

Ohio

• Ismail Mohamed (Democrat), House District 3, since January 2023 (Ohio House). He came to Central Ohio from Somalia as a child and was the first Somali American attorney to practise in Ohio (same source).
• Munira Yasin Abdullahi (Democrat), House District 9, since January 2023 (Ohio House). The Ohio Statehouse museum lists her and Mohamed as the first Somali Americans in the legislature (Ohio Statehouse).
• Both kept their seats in November 2026 (Dawan, 2026). Both condemned the US president's remarks about Somalis in December 2025 (Ohio House, 4 December 2025).

Maine

• Mana Abdi (Democrat), House District 95, Lewiston, elected November 2022 as the first Somali American in the Maine Legislature (Bangor Daily News, 8 November 2022).
• Deqa Dhalac (Democrat), House District 120, South Portland, elected 2022 (Bangor Daily News, 9 November 2022).
• Yusuf Yusuf (Democrat), Portland, elected 2024 (Maine House Democrats).
• The three issued a joint statement against the president's remarks about Somali Americans (same source).

Which Somali Americans have been mayors?

Dhalac was believed to be the first Somali American mayor in the United States (CNN via KTVZ). Mohamed is described as the first elected directly by voters, as Dhalac was chosen by the council (PBS NewsHour, 2023). Mohamed came to the US as a refugee at 10 and first won a council seat in 2019 at 23 (VOA, November 2019).

In the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral race, State Senator Omar Fateh won 44.37% in the final round and lost to the sitting mayor, Jacob Frey (City of Minneapolis; Sahan Journal, November 2025).

Which Somali Americans sit on city councils?

Isaak Mohamed says he believes he is Wisconsin's first Somali American elected official (Hiiraan Online, April 2022). He came to the US in 2013 after living in a refugee camp in Uganda (same source).

Which Somali Americans have served on school boards?

• Hussein Samatar, Minneapolis Board of Education, elected 2010; he died in August 2013 (MPR News, 2010; Star Tribune, 2013).
• Mohamud Noor, Minneapolis Board of Education, appointed in 2013 to Samatar's District 3 seat (Star Tribune, 2013).
• ZamZam Mohamud, Lewiston School Committee, elected 2014 (Sun Journal via Press Herald, 2018).
• Ibrahim Mohamed, Shakopee school board, elected 2020, its first member of colour (MPR News, 11 November 2020).
• Suad "Sue" Said, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage District 191, won a 2021 special election with 72% (Sahan Journal, 10 November 2021).
• Abdihakim Arabow Ibrahim, St Louis Park Public Schools, elected unopposed in 2021 (same source).
• Sakawdin Mohamed, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan District 196, topped a field of 16 in 2021 (same source).
• Awale Farah, Kent School Board, Washington, position 4 (Hiiraan Online, November 2021).

Who holds other elected posts?

Hamdi Mohamed won a seat on the Port of Seattle Commission in 2021 (The Seattle Medium, 15 December 2021). She was described as the first Black woman on the commission and came to the US as a refugee baby (same source). In December 2025 she led Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (KUOW, 30 December 2025).

Who holds senior appointed posts?

• Hamse Warfa became deputy commissioner of Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development in April 2019 (Mshale, April 2019). In January 2022 he joined the US State Department as a senior adviser (Minnesota Reformer, 10 January 2022; CBS Minnesota).
• ABC News reported that other Somali Americans served in earlier administrations, including Hani Garabyare under President Obama (ABC News via Good Morning America).
• Abdi Warsame left the city council to become executive director of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority on 31 March 2020 (Minnesota Reformer, 2020). In June 2026 the Minneapolis NAACP called for his removal over conditions at Heritage Park Apartments (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, 29 June 2026).
• Sharmarke Issa became the first Somali American immigrant to chair the board of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority in 2019 (Star Tribune, 2019).
• Ibrahim Mohamed was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton as the first Somali American on the Metropolitan Airports Commission (WardheerNews).
• Sakawdin Mohamed was reappointed to the Minnesota Commission on National and Community Service in 2014 (Hiiraan Online, January 2014).

Where are there none yet?

Earlier research for the city pages found no Somali American elected officials in North Texas, Arizona, Nashville, or Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. See Dallas–Fort Worth, Phoenix, Nashville and the Washington DC area.

Related pages

• United States
• Minneapolis–St Paul, St Cloud, Columbus, Seattle, Lewiston and Portland, Maine, Atlanta and Clarkston
• Somali Canadians in public life
• British Somalis in public life
• Somalis in public office in Europe
• Ilhan Omar
• Why and how Somalis left