Democrat Adam Hamawy won New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Republican Gregg Mele to become the state’s first Muslim member of Congress, according to the Associated Press.
Hamawy, a plastic surgeon, retired US Army combat doctor and humanitarian medical worker, will succeed Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who is retiring after a decade in the House.
Born in Egypt and raised in the US, the 56-year-old is an Iraq War veteran who later joined medical missions in Bosnia, Sudan, Lebanon and Syria. He traveled to southern Gaza on a humanitarian mission in 2024, an experience that shaped his decision to enter politics.
A first-time candidate and outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, Hamawy campaigned on universal Medicare, ending US military aid to Israel, cancelling medical and student loan debt, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
After winning the Democratic primary, he told supporters: “We made it clear you never need to ask for permission to fight for justice.”