Minneapolis Voters Make Ellison Congress’ First Muslim Member

[Xoogsade]

Democrats in Minnesota’s strongly Democratic 5th Congressional District put history into motion by nominating state Rep. Keith Ellison in Tuesday’s primary — all but guaranteeing that he will become the first Muslim ever elected to Congress.

 

 

Ellison’s virtually certain victory in November also would make him the first African-American to represent Minnesota in the 110th Congress, and one of a small handful of black lawmakers who represent districts with sizable white majorities. The 5th, which includes all of Minneapolis and much of its suburbs, has a population that is about 70 percent non-Hispanic white.

 

The winner of the November election will succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Martin Olav Sabo (news, bio, voting record), who never had a close race over his 14-term career. Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry took 71 percent of the 5th District vote in 2004.

 

Ellison earned his primary victory in a hard-fought campaign against two other leading contenders — longtime Sabo aide Mike Erlandson, a former state Democratic Party chairman, and former state Sen. Ember Reichgott Junge.

 

With all precincts reporting in unofficial returns, Ellison took 41 percent to 31 percent for Erlandson and 21 percent for Junge. Minneapolis City Councilman Paul Ostrow ended the race with 5 percent.

 

Business consultant Alan Fine was unopposed to stage the Republicans’ longshot bid for the seat. Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee and Green Party member Jay Pond also will contend for the seat.

 

Ellison was established as the front-runner for the Democratic nod in May, when he received the official endorsement of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party (as the Democrats have long been known in Minnesota). His bid to make racial political history in the state also drew him an endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus.

 

Sabo, though, stood by Erlandson, who chose to pursue the primary bid despite losing the party endorsement vote.

 

And Ellison had to recover his footing after some early stumbles. He was stung by news reports about a variety of personal problems, including allegations of unpaid parking tickets, late federal income tax payments and failure to file timely campaign finance reports in other elections. Perhaps most damaging were reports linking him to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan after his conversion to the religion as a young man.

 

But Ellison’s charm and progressive politics are what likely pulled him through, experts say. The 43-year-old state lawmaker has been likened to progressive political icon Paul Wellstone — a comparison that can go a long way in a state that is still mourning the late senator, who died in a plane crash late in his 2002 bid for re-election.

 

“The margin speaks to the strength of progressives and grass-roots in that district,†said Blois Olson, co-publisher of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota. “He’s been compared to Paul Wellstone . . . I think it was a factor, and I think the people could relate to that.â€

 

Ellison also pushed hard in the final hours of his campaign, meeting with as many voters as possible to spread a message that included advocating withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, universal health care coverage and support for labor issues.

 

Throughout the race, Ellison focused on those subjects, eschewing a race-based campaign, and vigorously seeking face time with as many voters of all backgrounds as possible.

 

The tactic clearly worked: more voters showed up for this primary than any other primary in state history. “This is exactly how we planned it,†said Ellison campaign spokesman Dave Colling.

 

Colling contended the real reason Ellison is able to elicit so much enthusiasm is his willingness to stand up to authority, a trait he said President Bush will soon encounter. “I watched him do it in the state House, and I can’t wait to watch him do it in Congress,†Colling said.

 

Erlandson, who targeted older voters who usually cast the most ballots in primary elections, finished strong in the suburbs. “We just didn’t have quite enough juice at the end,†said Erlandson campaign spokesman Peter Brickwedde.

 

CQ rates the race as Safe Democratic. Please visit CQPolitics.com’s Election Forecaster for ratings on all races.

 

 

Here

[Sharif_seylaci]

what a big somali comunnity there man

isset like london

[Valenteenah.]

Sounds like good news.

[General Duke]

He has not won yet. We wait till the 7 of November.. Insha Allah he will get there. He will be MN first African American congressman as well as the first ever Muslim..

[General Duke]

Source

 

MUXAMMAD HALOO DIRO AQALKA US CONGRESSKu

 

(Sept 1-3, 2006) waxaa yimid musharaxa aqalka odayaasha ee Maraykanka (US Congress), waa nin Muslim ah oo magaciisa la yiraahdo Keith Ellison, waxa uu muslimiinta xusuusinayaa in ay codkooda asaga siiyaan maalinta ay taariikhdu tahay September 12, 2006 doorasha hore ee tartanka aqalka odayaasha maraykanka.

SomaliTalk.com oo fursad u heshay in ay su'aal gaar ah weydiiso Keith Ellison ayaa su'aashu ahayd "Haddii lagu doorto maxaad u qaban doontaa ama u ballan qaadeysaa in aad u qabaneysid Soomaalida". Waxana uu ku jawaabey: Waxaa ka shaqaynaya nabadda, waxaan ku dadaalayaa dhawrida xuquuqda shacabka (civil rights), waxaan Soomaalida kala shaqaynayaa xagga Immigration-ka iyo qaadashada dhalashada (citizenship), iyo yaranta waqtiga dheer ee la sugayo immigration-ka iyo caddaalad samayn xagga dhaqaalaha - halkaas asagoo sharaxayana waxa uu yiri waagii hore hal qof ayaa biili kari jirey qoys ka kooban shan qof, laakiin taasi hadda suurta gal ma ahan, waxaana kala tegey daqabqadihii, dadkii fiqiirka ahaa ee Maraykanka waa sii fiqiirayaan dadka qaniga ah waa sii taajirayaan, waxaan ku dadaalayaa in aan taas wax ka qabto ayuu yiri, isagoo aad ugu niyad san in Soomaalida haysta dhalashada Maraykanka ay Sept 12 asaga u codayn doonaan.

 

(Wuuna ku guulaystay doorashadaas oo ah isreeb-reebkii 1aad, waxaana xiga doorashada weyn oo ku beegan Nov 7, 06).

 

Waxaa xalay oo ay taariikhda aheyd Sept.12, 2006 ku guuleystay doorashada is reeb reebka murashixiinta xisbiyada (Primary Election) hogaamiye Muslim ah ee magaciisa la yiraahdo Mohamed Keith Ellison oo hadda ka tirsan baarlamaanka Gobolka Minnesota.

 

Yuu Yahay Mohamed Keith?

 

Muxammad Keith, garyaqaan 43 jir ah oo asal ahaan ka soo jeeda magaalada Detroit ee gobolka Michigan. Muxammad oo hadda reer Minnesota ah ayaa ah musharax Muslim ah oo ka tirsan xisbiga Dimoqraadiga waxuuna u sharaxan yahay Golaha Congresska Maraykanka ee ah golaha sharci dejinta ee dowladda Maraykanka lagana hago siyaasadaha caalamka. Muxammad Keith wuxuu noqon doona Muslimka ugu horeeyey Congresska Maraykanka gala hadduu ku guuleysto Doorashada bisha Nov. 7, 2006.

 

Muxammad Keith wuxuu muslim ahaa in ka badan 10 sano, waana muslimiinta sida tooska casharada ka qaata Masjid Nuur oo ku yaal Minneapolis, Minnesota. Wuxuu kaloo xaadiraa daruusta laga bixiyo Xarumaha Islaamka ee Minnesota sida Xarumaha Daraasaatka Islaamka ee MAS-Minnesota. Wuxuu nagala qeyb galay doodo badan ee lagu hormarinayo Muslimiinta gobolka ee Minnesota laguna difaacayo xuquuqdood.

 

TAAGEERADA MUXAMMAD KEITH WAA WAAJIB

 

Inkastoo hal ruux oo muslim ah ay dad badan u arkaan inuusan wax badan ka tarayn Congresska, haddan Muxammad Keith wuxuu noo balan qaaday in magaca Islaamka uu san marti ka noqon doonin Congreska Maraykanka. Diinta Islaamka in maalin kasto congresska ay ka muuqato waa waajib dacawi ah. Qaacidda islaamka waxay leedahay: Waxaan la’aantiisa aan waajib ku dhameystirmeyn, waxaasi waajib bay noqdaan.

 

Haddii Muxammad Keith oo ah ruux shanta waqti tukada la’aantii aan Islaamka maalinka kasta Congreska ka muuqaneyn, kolkaasi waajib bay noqon taageeridiisa si Congress ay u arkaan ruux iyo muslimiinta xafiiskiisa ka shaqeysa oo maalin weliba ku haya Allaahu Akbar.

 

HAMBALYO

 

Marka Al-xamdul lilaah guusha bilaabatay. Hambalyo waxaan halkaan u jeedinayaa muslimiinta ay soomaali u badan tahay oo si hagar la’aan u taageertay Md. Muxammad Keith. Si gaar ah dhalinyarada madaalayaasha oo guri kasto garaacay ilaa la gaaray guushii xalay Sept. 12, 2006. Waxaase harsan doorashada dhabta ah ee dhici doonta Nov. 2006 ee fadlan haddii aad rabto inaa la shaqeyso xafiiska kaambeynka ee Keith ee qeybta muslimiinta MN la soo xiriir:

 

Sh. Xasan Jaamic (612) 242-3273 xasanjaamici@yahoo.com

 

Imam Asad Zama (612) 964-5757 asaduzzaman@hotmail.com

 

Sh. Xasan Jaamici, USA

[ElPunto]

^What's this I hear about his Nation of Islam ties? I really dislike those cultists.

[RedSea]

yeah true, The Point. He WAS member of nation of Islam, but that is not the most disturbing thing about him.He is actual Pro gay marriage, and Pro abbortion, so we talk about having a "muslim" in Washington. I think we can safely say this dude is Democrat before he is a Muslim.

[RedSea]

Originally posted by Sharif_seylaci:

what a big somali comunnity there man

isset like london

80,000 in Minneapolis city alone, so yeah huge Somali community in Minnesota.

[Khalaf]

^^^Red, how many of them are citizens and can vote?

 

yeah true, The Point. He WAS member of nation of Islam, but that is not the most disturbing thing about him.He is actual Pro gay marriage, and Pro abbortion, so we talk about having a "muslim" in Washington. I think we can safely say this dude is Democrat before he is a Muslim.

then he can not be a Muslim if this is true!

[RedSea]

^^^ Mr. Khalaf, yeah it's true that he is pro guy marriage and abbortion as well, hence that is one of the key elements that will make you true liberal, not that I prefer the right of the political spectrum either.

 

Secondly, to be honest, although you may know this as well, alot of Somalis are citizens (flight #13s ),but mostly don't vote or aren't registered to vote, it's one of the things Sh.Khalid Yasin was talking about, community participation, the Somalis here have the power if they tried to decide both the governor and mayor of the city in every election,they have the numbers,but they are passive and not active when it comes to political participation.

[Allamagan]

the maryooleys need to ingage seriously in the political process down there if they want to survive in todays co-operate america.

 

What happened to this somali gentleman M Wardhere?