Four Nigerian-Americans have won elections to various political offices in the United States, while a fifth was leading in a closely watched race in Georgia, following the November 3 midterm elections. The victories, recorded in Maryland, Texas, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, highlight the growing political participation and representation of Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans in American politics.
Will Jawando, a Democrat, won the Maryland County Executive Race, defeating Republican Esther Wells. Jawando, the son of a Nigerian father and an American mother, previously served as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council, having first been elected in 2018. Unofficial results showed Jawando securing 195,872 votes, representing 78.66 per cent, against Wells’s 52,141 votes, or 20.94 per cent.
In Texas, 27-year-old Democrat Junior Ezeonu won the race for District 101 in the state’s House of Representatives. Ezeonu, who was born in Onitsha, Anambra State, moved to Texas with his family when he was two years old. He defeated incumbent Chris Turner in the Democratic primary election in March 2026 and subsequently emerged as the only candidate in the November general election after no Republican entered the race.
Democrat Oye Owolewa won an at-large seat on the District of Columbia Council in Washington, DC. Owolewa, a pharmacist, is the son of Nigerian immigrants from Kwara and Osun states. He previously served as the district’s elected shadow representative, a position created to advocate for Washington, DC’s statehood and full representation in the US Congress.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat Carol Kazeem retained her seat representing District 159 in the state’s House of Representatives. Kazeem defeated Republican challenger Mike Bannon in the election, according to preliminary results. The results showed Kazeem polling 12,801 votes against Bannon’s 4,109.
Nigerian-born Democrat Segun Adeyina was leading Republican Charles Lollar in the race for Georgia’s House of Representatives District 110. According to election trackers, Adeyina had secured 1,353 votes against Lollar’s 689, representing 66 per cent and 34 per cent respectively. Adeyina, who represents parts of Gwinnett County, was first elected to the Georgia State House in 2022.
The victories of the Nigerian-Americans reflect their increasing participation in American public life, particularly at the state and local government levels, where elected officials influence policies on education, healthcare, housing, public safety and economic development. The midterm elections provided an opportunity for immigrant communities, including Nigerians living in the United States, to strengthen their representation in the country’s political institutions.
Key points
- Four Nigerian-Americans won elections in Maryland, Texas, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.
- A fifth Nigerian-American, Segun Adeyina, was leading in a closely watched race in Georgia.
- The victories highlight the growing political participation and representation of Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans in American politics.
