Key facts
- Adam Hisham Hamawy won the Democratic primary for New Jersey's 12th Congressional District.
- Hamawy testified as a defense witness for Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman in 1996.
- Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman was convicted of inciting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
- Hamawy briefly volunteered for an Al Qaeda-linked group in 1994.
- Hamawy's victory was criticized by Michael Macko, son of a 1993 WTC bombing victim.
- Hamawy received endorsements from progressive lawmakers and was backed by the American Priorities PAC.
Adam Hisham Hamawy, an Egyptian-born surgeon and U.S. Army veteran, has won the Democratic primary for New Jersey's 12th Congressional District. Hamawy secured 28% of the vote in a 12-way contest, positioning him to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. His campaign, which advocated for Medicare for all and a ban on weapons sales to Israel, drew endorsements from progressive lawmakers including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Tammy Duckworth, and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. Hamawy previously testified as a defense witness in 1996 for Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, who was convicted of inciting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Hamawy also briefly volunteered for an Al Qaeda-linked front group in Eastern Europe in 1994. His win was seen as a victory for the pro-Palestine Super PAC American Priorities, which spent over $1.5 million on advertisements supporting his candidacy. Michael Macko, the son of a man killed in the 1993 WTC bombing, expressed disappointment with Hamawy's victory, calling it "disappointing" and stating he "can't look past" the candidate's past associations. Hamawy is expected to win the general election in November and would become the fifth Muslim congressional lawmaker in the House.