Five Nigerian-Born Politicians Win Seats in US Midterm Elections
Nigerian-born politicians have secured electoral victories in the November 3, 2026, United States midterm elections, with Will Jawando, Junior Ezeonu, Oye Owolewa, Carol Kazeem and Gabe Okoye emerging successful in different races.
The victories were recorded across Maryland, Texas, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania and Georgia, highlighting the growing participation of Nigerians in American politics.
In Maryland, Democrat Will Jawando won the race for Montgomery County executive, defeating Republican challenger Esther Wells.
Results published by NBC Washington showed that Jawando secured 237,383 votes, representing 78.15 per cent, while Wells received 66,383 votes, or 21.85 per cent, with 72 per cent of expected votes counted.
Jawando, a former member of the Montgomery County Council, is the son of a Nigerian father and an American mother.
In Texas, 27-year-old Junior Ezeonu won a seat in the state’s House of Representatives for District 101.
Born in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ezeonu previously served on the Grand Prairie City Council after winning election in 2021. He later became the youngest mayor pro tempore in the city’s history.
Meanwhile, Oye Owolewa secured an at-large seat on the District of Columbia Council in Washington, DC.
According to The 51st, Owolewa polled 69 per cent of the votes to defeat independent candidate Elissa Silverman, who secured 21 per cent.
The pharmacist, whose parents are Nigerian immigrants, previously served as the district’s shadow representative.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat Carol Kazeem retained her seat in the state House of Representatives, representing District 159, after defeating Republican challenger Michael Bannon.
Gabe Okoye also won Georgia’s District 102, which covers parts of Gwinnett County. The Nigerian-born politician was first elected to the state legislature in 2022.
The US midterm elections are held halfway through a president’s four-year term and determine the composition of Congress, state legislatures and various local government positions.
