Which U.S. cities have the largest concentrations of Muslim‑American elected officials?
Executive summary
Cities and small metro areas with the largest documented concentrations of Muslim‑American elected officials cluster where sizable Muslim populations and organized civic infrastructure already exist — most prominently New Jersey municipalities, parts of Michigan (including Hamtramck and Detroit suburbs), New York City, and select Washington, D.C. suburbs such as College Park, Maryland — findings drawn from CAIR tallies, contemporary reporting and local victory announcements [1] [2] [3] [4]. Reporting is provisional: CAIR and allied groups were preparing an updated national directory in January 2026 that may change these rankings and add officials not yet captured in media roundups [4] [5].
1. New Jersey: the state with the heaviest local concentration
National tallies cited by CAIR and VOA indicate New Jersey hosts one of the largest concentrations of Muslim elected officials by count, with “nearly 50” Muslim officeholders reported there in CAIR’s last public overview — a number that made New Jersey notable for having the country’s largest Muslim representation per capita in local government [1]. That statewide concentration reflects both dense Muslim communities and long‑standing civic networks that help convert population density into local elected representation, an observation emphasized in CAIR’s directories and corroborated by national reporting [6] [1].
2. Michigan and Hamtramck: small cities, outsized representation
Michigan appears repeatedly in reporting of recent Muslim victories, with named officials like Abdullah Hammoud and Mo Baydoun cited among new or incumbent Muslim officeholders and with Hamtramck—an ~27,000‑person city near Detroit—specifically highlighted for close mayoral contests and historically high Muslim civic involvement [3] [2]. Local wins in Michigan illustrate how concentrated immigrant and Muslim communities in smaller cities can yield multiple elected officials across municipal and school‑board posts [2] [3].
3. New York City: symbolic wins and growing municipal presence
New York City registered headline‑making Muslim victories, including the election of Zohran K. Mamdani to a city leadership role that media described as a historic first, and other Muslim winners such as Yusef Salaam joining City Council ranks, signaling an expanding municipal presence in the nation’s largest city [4] [7]. While raw counts in New York may lag those in New Jersey, the prominence of these New York victories amplifies visibility and suggests concentration at borough and district levels worth tracking in CAIR’s forthcoming directory [4] [7].
4. Washington suburbs and small‑city mayors: College Park and beyond
College Park, Maryland — a suburb bordering Washington, D.C. — is cited as home to Faizul Kabir, who has served as mayor and was noted in reporting as the first Muslim mayor in Maryland in a recent special election, showing another locus where Muslim‑American elected officials concentrate in suburban local government [2]. Similar suburban and small‑city strongholds around major metros frequently produce multiple local officeholders because of concentrated communities and effective local organizing discussed in CAIR and allied reporting [2] [6].
5. Caveats, data limits and what to watch next
Public reporting relies heavily on organization tallies and post‑election media roundups: CAIR has been the principal chronicler through periodic directories and announced a 2025–2026 update in January 2026 that will refine counts and geographies [4] [5]. Different outlets reported modestly different totals (for example, 37–42 winners in the 2025 cycle across sources), and the highest concentrations can shift rapidly after local contests; therefore definitive city‑by‑city rankings require the full CAIR directory and further local certification [8] [4]. Observers should also note organizational agendas — civil‑rights groups like CAIR document representation to mobilize civic engagement, and media coverage may emphasize symbolic firsts over granular counts — which shapes the public picture of where Muslim officials are concentrated [4] [8].