Nigerian-born American politicians have recorded victories in the US November 3 midterm elections, with Will Jawando, Junior Ezeonu, Oye Owolewa and Carol Kazeem.
Their victories span states like Maryland, Texas, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Gabe Okoye won in Georgia. Mr Okoye won Georgia’s District 102. The Nigerian-born lawmaker was first elected in 2022 and represents parts of Gwinnett County.
In Maryland, Mr Jawando (Democrat) won the race for Montgomery County executive, defeating Republican Esther Wells.
According to results published by NBC Washington, Mr Jawando secured 237,383 votes, representing 78.15 per cent, against Wells’s 66,383 votes, or 21.85 per cent, with 72 per cent of the expected votes counted.
Mr Jawando, who previously served on the Montgomery County Council, is the son of a Nigerian father and an American mother.
In Texas, 27-year-old Mr Ezeonu secured a seat in the state’s House of Representatives for District 101. He was born in Onitsha, Anambra state.
He previously served on the Grand Prairie City Council after winning an election in 2021 and later became the city’s youngest mayor pro tempore.
In Washington, DC, Mr Owolewa won an at-large seat on the District of Columbia Council. The 51st reported that he secured 69 per cent of the votes, defeating independent candidate Elissa Silverman, who polled 21 per cent.
Mr Owolewa, a pharmacist and son of Nigerian immigrants, previously served as the district’s shadow representative.
Ms Kazeem retained her seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing District 159. The Democrat defeated Republican challenger Michael Bannon.
The US midterm elections determine the composition of Congress, state legislatures and several local government positions halfway through a president’s four-year term.
