Skip to main content

Sudanese-American Mazahir Salih, wins Iowa City Council race - City's newest councilwoman, makes history

Mazahir Salih said she almost couldn't believe the Election Day results Tuesday — that she'd won a seat as an at-large member of the Iowa City Council.

Salih, a founding member of the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa and a local activist, was elected Tuesday to an at-large seat on the Iowa City Council after she earned 5,573 votes, or 77 percent.

Salih is Iowa City's first Sudanese-American council member, but also likely is the first Sudanese-American person elected to governmental office in the United States, according to Majed Khalifa, a board member of the Sudanese American Public Affairs Association. 

"As far as we know, she is the first, hence our excitement," Khalifa said Wednesday, adding that the organization had received numerous calls and messages from people supporting Salih. "We've been watching her campaign very closely, and we're happy that she made it to this position. I think others will be looking up to her and hopefully follow in her footsteps."

The association was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Virginia. It provides non-political and non-religious education on running for governmental office, Khalifa said.

He said, though, that the association does not have a database of Sudanese-American candidates or elected officials. Several people took to social media on Tuesday night and Wednesday, asking if Salih was the first.

Salih has said throughout her campaign that she plans to bring underrepresented voices to discussions held at City Hall. She has helped establish Johnson County's community ID program and, most recently, worked to commit 150 Iowa City businesses to continue paying a $10.10 minimum wage.

Salih on Tuesday said her focus, as she steps into her new role, will be to continue to work on affordable housing initiatives and fighting for "a fair, livable wage."

"I can't believe it. I have been nervous all day, and it's been a lot of hard work," she said while she was celebrating at The Mill in downtown Iowa City. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

President George Weah's One Day National Forum Successfully Attended by 26 Political Parties

On Thursday, August 8, 2018, President George Weah had a sit down with 26 political parties of Liberia.  The meeting aimed at advancing ideals that promote the spirit of national unity and political tolerance between opposition political parties and the government.  ANC, LP and UP attended the meeting as a team. According to Deputy Minister Eugene L. Fahngon, Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs at Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism, all 26 political parties attended and participated from start to finish.  Even though, social media was buzzing about AB Dillion walking out of the meeting, he walked out as an individual and not a political party, "the invitation was extended to political parties and not to individuals," Minister Fahngon stated in his live video.  Each political party gave ideals and recommendations, which made the meeting a great success.  According to  Deputy Minister Fahngon, "there will be future engagements as such.&quo

What President Trump and Kim Jong Un Ate

The historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continued midday Tuesday, as the leaders satisfied their appetites while holding negotiations with a contingent of advisers over a working lunch. The lunch, which followed a 45-minute one-on-one meeting between the leaders earlier in the morning and bilateral discussion with senior aides, was held at the Capella Hotel on Singapore’s Sentosa Island. It was far from an intimate affair, with each leader accompanied by a bevy of senior staff, according to the White House. Joining Trump were Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff John Kelly, National Security Advisor John Bolton, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Deputy Assistant to the President for Asian Affairs Matthew Pottinger. Kim was accompanied by Kim Yong Chol , the former spy chief and one of North Korea’s chief negotiators, as well as Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, former

Liberia: Kpanto Entertains Small Crowd at Australia Concert

Kpanto's Australia tour's first night in Perth on April 1st was a tour in terms of attendance, but the artist still managed to put up a fantastic show in spite of the low crowd. Despite Kpanto's tremendous popularity, the attendance was unsatisfactorily low. A video that was just found online shows that there were between 25 and 65 people present. According to the promoter who planned the event, the actual number was 210. Despite all, the musician provided a standout performance.