Key facts
- Abdul El-Sayed, 42, won a US Senate seat in Michigan and is set to become the first Muslim senator, the report said.
- Melat Kiros, 29, became the first Gen Z woman elected to the US Congress, winning Colorado's 1st District.
- Adrian Boafo, 32, won Maryland's 5th Congressional District, succeeding Steny Hoyer, who retired.
- Ilhan Omar, 44, won a fifth term despite a federal investigation into her immigration paperwork; she denied wrongdoing.
- At least four candidates with Nigerian heritage won in the November 3 midterms, the report said.
Abdul El-Sayed, 42, born to Egyptian immigrant parents, won a US Senate seat in Michigan in the November 3 midterm elections, according to a BBC report published November 4. He is set to become the first Muslim senator, the report said. El-Sayed ran a social media-first campaign focused on Medicare for All, affordable housing and curbing corporate influence in politics, and has been a vocal critic of US military aid to Israel. He rejected allegations from conservative media and President Donald Trump that he supported the Muslim Brotherhood.
Melat Kiros, 29, became the first Gen Z woman elected to the US Congress, winning Colorado's 1st District. Born in Addis Ababa, she arrived in the US as a baby and grew up in Denver. She defeated a 15-term incumbent in the Democratic primary before winning in the general election. Kiros campaigned on the cost of living, universal childcare and Medicare for All, and has called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ending US military aid to Israel. She was fired from a top New York law firm in 2023 after refusing to take down an open letter criticizing law firms' response to campus antisemitism.
Adrian Boafo, 32, a second-generation Ghanaian-American, won Maryland's 5th Congressional District, succeeding Steny Hoyer, who retired after more than four decades in Congress. Boafo served on the Bowie City Council and became a Maryland state delegate in 2023. His campaign focused on the cost of living, childcare and protecting federal workers.
Ilhan Omar, 44, Somali-born, won a fifth term despite an ongoing federal investigation. Federal agents searched her Washington home in October as part of an investigation into her immigration paperwork. Omar has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.
Junior Ezeonu, born in Nigeria, won a seat in the Texas State House after serving as Grand Prairie's youngest city council member. Carol Kazeem, 34, a Pennsylvania state legislator of Nigerian heritage, retained her seat in District 159. At least four candidates with Nigerian heritage won in the November 3 midterms, the report said.