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List of Arab and Middle Eastern Americans in the United States Congress

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This article is a list of all Arab Americans and Middle Eastern Americans who have ever served in the United States Congress. This list includes North Africans in the United States who identify as Arabs as well as Middle Eastern Americans who are not Arabs.

The first Arab American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives was George A. Kasem in 1959, and the first Arab-American U.S. senator was James Abourezk in 1973. In the 115th Congress, there were six U.S. representatives and no U.S. senators of Arab-American descent serving in Congress.[1][2] On November 6, 2018, four additional Arab Americans, all of whom are female, were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Ilhan Omar, Donna Shalala and Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib and Omar were also the first Muslim women in Congress.[3] The U.S. House of Representatives currently has five Arab-American members.

The first Assyrian American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives was Adam Benjamin in 1977,[4] and the first Persian-American U.S. representative was Stephanie Bice in 2021.[5] The first Coptic-American U.S. senator was George Helmy in 2024.[6] There currently are one Assyrian-American and one Persian-American U.S. representative and one Coptic-American U.S. senator serving in Congress.

Senate

[edit]
Picture Senator
(lifespan) 		Arab or Middle Eastern ethnicity Religion Party State Term start Term end Notes
Sen. Abourezk James Abourezk
(1931–2023) 		Lebanese Maronite Catholic Democratic South Dakota January 3, 1973 January 3, 1979 Retired[7]
Sen. Mitchell George J. Mitchell
(born 1933) 		Lebanese Maronite Catholic Democratic Maine May 17, 1980 January 3, 1995 Retired[8]
Sen. Abdnor James Abdnor
(1923–2012) 		Lebanese Eastern Orthodox Republican South Dakota January 3, 1981 January 3, 1987 Lost reelection[9]
Sen. Abraham Spencer Abraham
(born 1952) 		Lebanese Eastern Orthodox Republican Michigan January 3, 1995 January 3, 2001 Lost reelection[10][11]
Sen. Sununu John E. Sununu
(born 1964) 		Palestinian,
Lebanese 		Eastern Orthodox Republican New Hampshire January 3, 2003 January 3, 2009 Lost reelection[12][13]
Sen. Helmy George Helmy
(born 1979) 		Egyptian Oriental Orthodox Democratic New Jersey September 9, 2024 Incumbent Appointed following the resignation of Bob Menendez[14]

House of Representatives

[edit]
Picture Representative
(lifespan) 		Arab or Middle Eastern ethnicity Religion Party State Term start Term end Notes
Rep. Kasem George A. Kasem
(1919–2002) 		Lebanese Christian Democratic California January 3, 1959 January 3, 1961 Lost reelection
Rep. Kazen Abraham Kazen
(1919–1987) 		Lebanese Maronite Catholic Democratic Texas January 3, 1967 January 3, 1985 Lost renomination
Rep. Abourezk James Abourezk
(1931–2023) 		Lebanese Maronite Catholic Democratic South Dakota January 3, 1971 January 3, 1973 Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from South Dakota
Rep. Abdnor James Abdnor
(1923–2012) 		Lebanese Presbyterian Republican South Dakota January 3, 1973 January 3, 1981 Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from South Dakota
Rep. Moffett Toby Moffett
(born 1944) 		Lebanese Maronite Catholic Democratic Connecticut January 3, 1975 January 3, 1983 Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from Connecticut
Rep. Benjamin Adam Benjamin
(1935–1982) 		Assyrian Eastern Orthodox Democratic Indiana January 3, 1977 September 7, 1982 Died in office
Rep. Oakar Mary Rose Oakar
(born 1940) 		Lebanese,
Syrian 		Eastern Catholic Democratic Ohio January 3, 1977 January 3, 1993 Lost reelection
Rep. Rahall Nick Rahall
(born 1949) 		Lebanese Melkite Catholic Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1977 January 3, 2015 Lost reelection
Rep. Danner Pat Danner
(born 1934) 		Lebanese Baptist Democratic Missouri January 3, 1993 January 3, 2001 Retired
Rep. Eshoo Anna Eshoo
(born 1942) 		Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Democratic California January 3, 1993 Incumbent
Rep. Baldacci John Baldacci
(born 1955)
 Lebanese Roman Catholic Democratic Maine January 3, 1995 January 3, 2003 Retired to run successfully for Governor of Maine
Rep. LaHood Ray LaHood
(born 1945) 		Lebanese Roman Catholic Republican Illinois January 3, 1995 January 3, 2009 Retired to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Rep. John Chris John
(born 1960)
 Lebanese Roman Catholic Democratic Louisiana January 3, 1997 January 3, 2005 Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from Louisiana
Rep. Sununu John E. Sununu
(born 1964) 		Palestinian,
Lebanese 		Eastern Orthodox Republican New Hampshire January 3, 1997 January 3, 2003 Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
Rep. Issa Darrell Issa
(born 1953) 		Lebanese Eastern Orthodox Republican California January 3, 2001 January 3, 2019 Retired
January 3, 2021 Incumbent
Rep. Boustany Charles Boustany
(born 1956) 		Lebanese Maronite Catholic Republican Louisiana January 3, 2005 January 3, 2017 Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from Louisiana
Rep. Amash Justin Amash
(born 1980) 		Palestinian,
Syrian 		Eastern Orthodox Republican
(2011–2019)
Michigan January 3, 2011 January 3, 2021 Retired
Independent
(2019–2020)
Libertarian
(2020–2021)
Rep. Hanna Richard L. Hanna
(1951–2020) 		Lebanese Presbyterian Republican New York January 3, 2011 January 3, 2017 Retired
Rep. Abraham Ralph Abraham
(born 1954) 		Lebanese Baptist Republican Louisiana January 3, 2015 January 3, 2021 Retired
Rep. Graham Gwen Graham
(born 1963) 		Lebanese Episcopalian Democratic Florida January 3, 2015 January 3, 2017 Retired
Rep. Graves Garret Graves
(born 1972) 		Lebanese Roman Catholic Republican Louisiana January 3, 2015 Incumbent
Rep. LaHood Darin LaHood
(born 1968) 		Lebanese Roman Catholic Republican Illinois September 10, 2015 Incumbent
Rep. Crist Charlie Crist
(born 1956) 		Cypriot,
Lebanese 		Episcopalian Democratic Florida January 3, 2017 August 31, 2022 Resigned
Rep. Kihuen Rubén Kihuen
(born 1980) 		Lebanese Roman Catholic Democratic Nevada January 3, 2017 January 3, 2019 Retired
Rep. Mucarsel-Powell Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
(born 1971) 		Lebanese Roman Catholic Democratic Florida January 3, 2019 January 3, 2021 Lost reelection
Rep. Omar Ilhan Omar
(born 1981) 		Somali[Note 1] Sunni Muslim Democratic Minnesota January 3, 2019 Incumbent
Rep. Shalala Donna Shalala
(born 1941) 		Lebanese Maronite Catholic Democratic Florida January 3, 2019 January 3, 2021 Lost reelection
Rep. Tlaib Rashida Tlaib
(born 1976) 		Palestinian Sunni Muslim Democratic Michigan January 3, 2019 Incumbent
Rep. Bice Stephanie Bice
(born 1973) 		Persian Roman Catholic (born to a Muslim father) Republican Oklahoma January 3, 2021 Incumbent

Representatives-elect

[edit]
Picture Representative
(lifespan) 		Arab or Middle Eastern ethnicity Religion Party State Term start Notes
Yassamin Ansari
(born 1992) 		Iranian Unknown Democratic Arizona January 3, 2025
Abraham Hamadeh
(born 1991) 		Syrian Non-denominational (born to a Muslim father and Druze mother) Republican Arizona January 3, 2025

References

[edit]
Notes
  1. ^ Although Somalis are not considered ethnically Arab, Somalia is considered to be part of the Arab World, being a member nation of the Arab League, and Omar is listed in the Arab American Institute's list of officeholders.[15] She is also listed at List of African-American United States representatives.
References
  1. ^ "Meet Arab American Members in 115th Congress - Arab American Institute". www.aaiusa.org.
  2. ^ "Arab American Members of Congress - Arab American Leadership Council Political Action Committee". www.aaleadershipcouncil.org.
  3. ^ Boorstein, Michelle. "The nation's first two Muslim congresswomen are sworn in, surrounded by the women they inspired". Washington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "Assyrians in Middle America A Historical and Demographic Study of the Chicago Assyrian Community" (PDF). jaas.org. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  5. ^ Firozi, Paulina. "House GOP chipped away at Democratic majority. They can thank female candidates" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  6. ^ Jalonick, Mary Clare (September 9, 2024). "New Jersey Democrat George Helmy sworn in as replacement for Menendez in the Senate". Associated Press. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Hall, Loretta (1999). "James Abourezk". Arab American biography. Vol. I: A-J. Detroit: U.X.L. pp. 18–25. ISBN 978-0-7876-2953-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. ^ Hall, Loretta (1999). "George John Mitchell". Arab American biography. Vol. II: K-Z. Detroit: U.X.L. pp. 311–316. ISBN 978-0-7876-2953-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  9. ^ Schudel, Matt (May 16, 2012). "James Abdnor, GOP congressman and senator from South Dakota, dies at 89". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ Hall, Loretta (1999). "Spencer Abraham". Arab American biography. Vol. I: A-J. Detroit: U.X.L. pp. 33–38. ISBN 978-0-7876-2953-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  11. ^ "Bioguide Search". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  12. ^ Cromwell, Sharon (2008). Arab Americans. Florida: Rourke Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-60472-751-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  13. ^ "John E. Sununu". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  14. ^ "New Jersey governor's former chief of staff to replace Menendez, but only until November election". AP News. 2024-08-16. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  15. ^ "Arab American Roster". Arab American Institute. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
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