Historic wins: Two Somali-American women win city council elections

Two Somali-American women Safiya Khalid and Nadia Mohamed won the city council seat in Lewiston, Maine and St Louis Park Minnesota respectively. Safiya Khalid, 23, became the first youngest Somali-American to be elected to the council in a city which also has a long history of racism against its immigrant community. Khalid won with nearly 70 per cent of the vote to make history in the former mill city. On the other hand, Mohamed won easily 63 per cent of the first-choice votes in the race to replace Thom Miller. 

During an interview with an international media outlet, Khalid said that her victory was the result of a commitment to connecting with voters. She said, “I worked really hard. I knocked on thousands of doors. That’s what paid off. There’s been a push for us to have bigger representation in office in the towns. That’s where the decisions are made. If we’re not in those offices, then someone is going to make the decisions for us.” 

Mohamed, on the other hand, joined the St Louis Park Multicultural Advisory Committee. She also reportedly helped guide the city's mourning of a 2017 terrorist attack in Mogadishu and outreach to the local Somali community. She has further helped teach community education classes, volunteered at St Louis Park High School and hosted community Iftars. She plans to focus on affordable housing, climate action, youth engagement, and racial equity. She wants St Louis Park to create more housing options for low-income people and wants to help the city achieve its goal of being carbon neutral by 2040. 

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'Resiliency and dedication'

Khalid's aim is to secure a $30 million federal housing grant and push for low-or no-interest loans for homeowners. She further wants to boost the ageing infrastructure, bring in investment, and support local business. She also wants to boost schools. Khalid's victory has impressed many politicians. Lewiston Mayor Kristen Cloutier said she was impressed by the poise Khalid showed by the young politician to ensure people in her community are represented and have a seat at the table. Her victory has also earned praise from national politicians including Rep. Ilhan Omar and Hillary Clinton. 

“If those (messages) had been directed at me, I would’ve been hiding under my bed,” Cloutier said. “I don’t know that I would’ve had the courage to fight another day. That speaks to her resiliency and her dedication.” 

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(With AP inputs)

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