In brief
Adam Hamawy, a former Army surgeon and volunteer in Gaza, won New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, becoming the state’s first Muslim American in Congress. He pledged to fight for better health care while criticizing U.S. support for Israeli military actions. His victory came amid anti‑Muslim attacks and scrutiny over a prior association with a convicted conspirator.
Adam Hamawy, a former Army surgeon and volunteer who has worked in Gaza, was elected as New Jersey’s first Muslim American to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday night. He won the 12th Congressional District with a platform that Christie Snyder described as “healthcare not bombs.”
Hamawy spent eight years as a U.S. Army officer, including a deployment to Iraq as a combat surgeon. After the September 11 attacks he served as a first‑responder, and in later years he traveled to Gaza on medical missions during 2024 and 2025. Those experiences convinced him it was impossible to return to a normal life without addressing the root causes of the violence he saw.
During his victory speech in Plainsboro, New Jersey, Hamawy said, “To the men, women and children of Gaza and Palestine: Your smiles give me the hope and the courage to fight for a better world.”
The Egyptian‑American surgeon added, “I have never seen anti‑Muslim hate as open and as loud and as accepted as it is today.” He blamed such hostility on the current climate in America and warned that Muslims are still told they do not belong.
Hamawy’s campaign also drew criticism for his past association with a sheikh who was later convicted of seditious conspiracy. Despite this scrutiny, the American‑Arab Anti‑Discrimination Committee welcomed Hamawy’s win and called him a “principled candidate.”
He earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and a medical degree from New Jersey Medical School. As he steps into Congress, he cites the need to challenge a system that “funds genocide (in Gaza) while trapping us all here in medical debt.” His victory is a milestone for Muslim representation and a statement against continued U.S. military support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
