The young politicians with African roots making history in the US midterms

4 November 2026, 16: 27 GMT. Updated 59 minutes ago.

Key points

• Adrian Boafo, meanwhile, a second-generation Ghanaian-American, will represent Maryland's 5th Congressional District after succeeding veteran Congressman Steny Hoyer.
• Then there is Carol Kazeem, 34, a Pennsylvania state legislator of Nigerian heritage who has retained her seat at District 159.
• First elected to Congress in 2018, Omar became the first Somali-American and one of the first Muslim women to serve in the chamber.
• Abdul El-Sayed, 42, born to Egyptian immigrant parents, playfully addressed Vice-President JD Vance.
• Endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, she has additionally called on abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ending US military aid to Israel.

4 November 2026, 16: 27 GMT. Updated 59 minutes ago. "JD, habibi (my love)".

It was an unlikely greeting to hear at a Democratic Party victory rally after the US midterm elections.

Abdul El-Sayed, 42, born to Egyptian immigrant parents, playfully addressed Vice-President JD Vance. This person had campaigned against him but will now swear him into office in January as Michigan's new Senator.

In practice, the US-born Democrat spent much of his campaign fending off attacks from conservative media and President Donald Trump. This person accused him of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed rejected the allegations.

"My name is Abdul Rahman Mohammed El-Sayed, " he remarked in an Egyptian Arabic accent to the cheering crowd at his victory rally. His Arabic Muslim name was a target for plenty of of his opponents. He is due to become the first Muslim senator.

El-Sayed ran a social media-first campaign, with TikTok edits showing him speaking directly to young voters, tapping into Gen Z humour, and sporting friendship bracelets.

For context, the former public health administrator's campaign centred on a progressive agenda, including Medicare for All, affordable housing and curbing corporate influence in politics. He has additionally been a vocal critic of US military aid to Israel.

But El-Sayed was not alone. From an Ethiopian-born Gen Z congresswoman to candidates with Nigerian heritage, a number of other politicians with African roots won in this year's midterms.

As well as in thousands of state and local offices, the elections, held halfway through a president's four-year term, decide who represents Americans in Congress.

At 29, Melat Kiros became the first Gen Z woman elected to the US Congress.

Born in Ethiopia, she arrived in the US as a baby and grew up in Denver. She had never held elected office before defeating a 15-term incumbent in Colorado's 1st District in the Democrat primary before winning a landslide in Tuesday's election.

Kiros, like El-Sayed, campaigned on problems that have become central to young progressive voters: the cost of living, universal childcare and Medicare for All.

Her outspoken criticism of Israel's war in Gaza has attracted controversy. Kiros has remarked her criticism is directed at the Israeli state, not Jewish residents.

She was fired from a top New York law firm in 2023 after she refused to take down an open letter to dozens of law firms who had pressed law school deans to crack down on antisemitism on campuses as students engaged in pro-Palestinian protests.

Kiros condemned antisemitism, but cautioned the law firms, including the one she worked for, against conflating "such bigotry with the geo-political question of Israel's legitimacy".

She remarked she kicked off thinking more seriously regarding politics in general after being fired.

Adrian Boafo, meanwhile, a second-generation Ghanaian-American, will represent Maryland's 5th Congressional District after succeeding veteran Congressman Steny Hoyer. This person retired after a political career spanning more than four decades.

Notably, the 32-year-old was born in Virginia and raised in Prince George's County, Maryland. His parents immigrated to the US from Ghana.

Boafo's route to Congress began in local politics. He served on the Bowie City Council before becoming a Maryland state delegate in 2023. He additionally worked for Hoyer before eventually winning the race to replace him.

His campaign focused on the cost of living, childcare and protecting federal workers, a major matter in a district close to Washington DC and home to thousands of administration employees.

In his victory statement, Boafo remarked representing his constituents had "never felt more urgent", pointing to federal job cuts, rising costs and the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Among those returning to Congress is Somali-born Ilhan Omar, 44. This person 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.

First elected to Congress in 2018, Omar became the first Somali-American and one of the first Muslim women to serve in the chamber. She has additionally been a frequent target of President Trump. This person has repeatedly criticised her and other Somali immigrants.

Trump has previously applied derogatory language to describe some African countries, including Somalia. In October, his Yemeni-born adviser Amer Ghalib remarked the president would refrain from using such language. Others created their breakthroughs in state and local politics.

Junior Ezeonu was born in Nigeria and moved to the US as a young child. By 27, he had already become Grand Prairie's youngest city council member before winning a seat in the Texas State House.

Then there is Carol Kazeem, 34, a Pennsylvania state legislator of Nigerian heritage who has retained her seat at District 159. At least four candidates with Nigerian heritage won in the 3 November midterms.

For some young Africans watching from throughout the Atlantic, these victories have offered a glimpse of what a new generation of voters could achieve at home.

On social media, users have shared the election results as a source of inspiration, particularly in Nigeria and Kenya, where major elections are due in 2027.

Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

In short, the young politicians with African roots making history in the US midterms is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.