Adam Hamawy Elected as New Jersey's First Muslim Congressman

Adam Hamawy has officially won the election for New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, becoming the state's first Muslim US congressman. The 56-year-old Egyptian-American surgeon and US Army veteran celebrated his victory on Tuesday in Plainsboro, New Jersey, where he told supporters that the resilience of people in Gaza and Palestine gave him the courage to fight for change. This win contributes to a broader Democratic sweep in which eight Muslim Americans secured seats in the US Congress.

Hamawy's entry into politics was driven by his experiences as a first responder and military surgeon. After serving as a combat trauma surgeon in Iraq in 2004, he continued to work in humanitarian missions globally. His involvement in medical trips to Gaza in 2024 and 2025 proved to be a turning point. He described the devastation he witnessed in the enclave as unlike anything he had previously seen, leading him to run on a platform of 'healthcare not bombs' and a critique of a system that funds foreign conflicts while domestic medical debt rises.

The campaign was not without challenges, as Hamawy faced significant scrutiny regarding his past association with Omar Abdel Rahman, known as the 'Blind Sheikh.' Abdel Rahman was convicted of seditious conspiracy related to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Hamawy, who was in his early 20s at the time, attended a conference with Abdel Rahman and later served as a defense witness. While Hamawy has since condemned the sheikh's violent rhetoric, critics, including Democratic challenger Adrian Mapp, labeled him a 'radical extremist.' Hamawy described the attacks as 'anti-Muslim' and noted that the hate was directed at his family and friends as well.

Now-Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who was the first serving congressperson to endorse Hamawy, recalled meeting him during his service in Baghdad. Duckworth, who was a helicopter pilot at the time, credited Hamawy with saving her life and one of her limbs after her aircraft was shot down in November 2004. She praised him as a leader with the willingness to call out injustices at home and abroad, a sentiment echoed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, which welcomed his victory as a chance to bring firsthand testimony of Gaza's destruction to the lawmakers who funded it.

Hamawy retired from the Army in 2011 with the rank of lieutenant colonel before dedicating himself to reconstructive surgery and humanitarian aid. His policy priorities include universal healthcare, the elimination of medical and student debt, and the abolition of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. On the international stage, he opposes the war on Iran and advocates for an end to US military aid to Israel. He has pledged to support the Palestinian right of return under international law, describing his policy goals as interconnected solutions to a broken and rigged political and economic system.

Selaedin Maksut, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, stated that the Islamophobic rhetoric used by opponents had backfired during the election season. He emphasized that New Jersey is better off because American Muslims are speaking out for a more just future. Hamawy, who has spoken about the personal nature of healthcare reform due to his work as a physician, aims to address the failures of the current insurance system and the disconnect between foreign military spending and domestic social needs.