Minnesota's legislature keeps four more voices with Somali and Nigerian roots
Omar Fateh, Zaynab Mohamed, Mohamud Noor and Esther Agbaje were all returned on Tuesday from their Minneapolis districts.
Minneapolis — Four Minneapolis lawmakers with African roots won again on Tuesday, adding to a Minnesota delegation that also includes Ilhan Omar, Abdi Daisane and Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley.
Omar Fateh, Senate District 62
Fateh, a son of Somali parents, was born in Washington, DC, and ran unopposed. He beat a sitting senator in the 2020 primary, after losing a House race in 2018, and became the first Somali American and first Muslim in the Minnesota Senate.
Zaynab Mohamed, Senate District 63
Mohamed defeated the Republican Diane Napper. She was born in Somalia, moved to the United States with her family at nine and grew up in the Powderhorn neighbourhood of Minneapolis. When she won in 2022 she became one of the first Black women in the Minnesota Senate, and the youngest woman ever elected to the legislature.
Mohamud Noor, House District 60B
Noor ran unopposed. Born in Somalia, he left with his family for Kenya when the civil war began, and reached the United States in 1999. He lost House races in 2014 and 2016 before winning in 2018.
Esther Agbaje, House District 59B
Agbaje defeated the Republican Kenneth Smoron. Born in Saint Paul to parents who emigrated from Nigeria, she beat a four-term incumbent in the 2020 primary to win her seat.
Source: MultiState, Wikipedia: Fateh, Mohamed, Noor, Agbaje, November 2026.
