Four Nigerian-Americans have won elective positions in the November 2026 US midterm elections, securing seats in local government and state legislatures across Maryland, Texas, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.
The winners are Will Jawando, Junior Ezeonu, Oye Owolewa and Carol Kazeem, all of whom contested on the platform of the Democratic Party.
Jawando emerged victorious in the race for Montgomery County executive in Maryland, defeating Republican candidate Esther Wells.
The 43-year-old, who previously served as an at-large county council member, was born in Montgomery County to a Nigerian father, Olayinka Jawando, and an American mother. His campaign focused on improving education funding and expanding access to affordable housing.
In Texas, 27-year-old Junior Ezeonu won the race for District 101 in the state House of Representatives, defeating Chris Turner, 54.
Born in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ezeonu moved to Texas at the age of two. He was elected to the Grand Prairie City Council in 2021 and subsequently became the city’s youngest mayor pro tempore. He was the only candidate on the November ballot after no Republican entered the race.
Oye Owolewa also secured re-election to an at-large seat on the District of Columbia Council in Washington DC, polling 69 per cent against independent candidate Elissa Silverman, who received 21 per cent.
Owolewa, a pharmacist born to Nigerian immigrants from Kwara and Osun states, previously served as a shadow representative from January 2021. He has consistently highlighted his Nigerian heritage in his political identity.
Meanwhile, Carol Kazeem retained her seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for District 159 after defeating Republican candidate Michael Bannon.
Born in Pennsylvania, Kazeem first won election to the state legislature in 2022 and was among eight Nigerian-Americans elected into public office during that year’s midterm elections.
Another Nigerian-born Democrat, Segun Adeyina, is seeking re-election to the Georgia House of Representatives.
Early results showed Adeyina leading Republican challenger Charles Lollar with 1,353 votes against 689, although final results were still being awaited as of Wednesday.
The victories further highlight the growing political participation and representation of Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans in American public life.