First-of-its-kind report documents 189 elected officials who identify as Muslim across 30 states
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/25/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and Jetpac, today held a news conference IN Washington, D.C., announcing the release the first national directory of local, state and federal elected Muslim officials and judges.
SEE: CAIR and JETPAC Release Highlights from 2023 Directory of Muslim Elected Officials –
WATCH VIDEO OF NEWS CONFERENCE
CAIR and Jetpac’s directory documented 189 elected officials holding local and state office across 30 states. These officials include members of Congress, state legislators, mayors, councilors, school board officials, judiciary members, and law enforcement. The state with the highest number of elected Muslim officials was New Jersey, with 40 elected officials. Michigan closely followed with 39 elected Muslim officials.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw said:
“This report shows that American Muslims are confidently participating in American life and actively involving themselves in the political process. The year 2022 is set to be another record-setting year for American Muslims in politics, with historic victories anticipated in states across the nation. Despite these increases in political participation among our community, much work remains to be done.
“The American Muslim community is growing; and Muslims are on their way to becoming the second-largest religious group in the country. This means that we must keep building foundations in every state that will ensure equitable representation for our community across all levels of our democracy.”
Jetpac Executive Director Mohammed Missouri said:
“It is inspiring to see the number of Muslim elected officials increase exponentially every year since 2016, especially at the local level. Policy decisions on education, housing, climate, and civil rights are shaped by state legislatures, city councils, and school committees every year – these decisions directly impact our lives and it is critical that our voice is represented in the policymaking process.”
BACKGROUND
In 2021, CAIR, Jetpac and MPower Change released a comprehensive report of all Muslim-identifying candidates who ran for public office in 2020. Titled “American Muslims Breaking Barriers | Running for Office in 2020,” CAIR and Jetpac’s report found record number of 181 Muslim candidates ran for office in 28 states and Washington D.C. in 2020, out of which 80 were successfully elected to office.
CAIR and Jetpac have been tracking and reporting on Muslim candidates running for office since 2016. The national directory of elected Muslim officials is the culmination of that work.
Jetpac is a representation-driven civic engagement organization. Its mission is to make our government more representative of the American people.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw, 202-999-8292, rmccaw@cair.com; Mohammed Missouri, Jetpac, 508-306-1038, mohammed@jet-pac.com