October 31, 2018

In what is undoubtedly a contentious political climate for all minority populations, American Muslims have been turning out en masse, whether it be as candidates or, as MPAC President Salam al-Marayati and Emgage President Wael Alzayat highlighted in a recently published op-ed, at the ballot box. As a way of highlighting the American Muslim candidates and public servants who have engaged faithfully and passionately within this political reality, we previously shined a spotlight on Ilhan Omar, Halim Dhanidina, Rashida Tlaib, and Aisha Yaqoob.

In the last of our candidate spotlight series prior to next week’s midterm elections, we’re highlighting the candidacies of Amir Malik, who is running for a seat in Minnesota’s State House to represent District 37B, and Aziz Ahmad, an alumnus of the Congressional Leadership Development Program (CLDP) and the Democratic candidate seeking to represent Ohio’s 7th District in the State House.

In Minnesota, Amir Malik is running as the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Nolan West. In a race for the chance to represent Blaine, MN, Malik views the city’s bipartisan ebb and flow — in recent elections, the city has voted in favor of both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Amy Klobuchar — as a chance to take West’s seat. Malik has previously worked as a corporate lawyer, an experience which gave him “rare insight about healthcare profiteers and big business,” but nevertheless left him unfulfilled. Now, facing an opponent with a history of racist and homophobic social media posts, Malik appears poised to flip the seat in this upcoming election.

Aziz Ahmad boasts an impressive resume to back his candidacy for the Ohio State House. A Teach for America Corps Member, Ahmad is campaigning while also pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration and Policy from American University. Inspired by his experience as a teacher, which brought him into contact with his community, its families and their children, Ahmad is running a campaign on three primary issues: education reform, “common sense gun policy,” and healthcare. On his campaign website, Ahmad speaks of his district’s “inspiring people” with “talent and potential” as well as practical solutions that he hopes to turn into policy.

If there is a through line which runs across the policy platforms and campaign rhetoric of Malik and Ahmad, it is their mutual emphasis on the ordinary people who make up communities and contribute vitally to any healthy citizenry. Both of these candidates boast a bottom-up approach to politics that recognizes the common humanity from which their policy prescriptions flow.

With the elections coming up next Tuesday, we hope that each and every American makes a choice for the candidates who best represent them, their fellow citizens, and their common interests. 

MPAC is a 501c4 organization and does not endorse political candidates. However, as a national policy organization focused on substantive advocacy, leadership development, and building the political power of American Muslims, we highlight outstanding examples of public service from within our community and across the nation. 

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