Feisty Aphrodite Archives
Keith Ellison may be first Muslim elected to Congress
On September 12, Minnesota State Representative Keith Ellison won the Democratic primary in the U.S. House of Representative's 5th District, which has a history of heavily supporting Democratic candidates. Ellison's victory has placed him in a very likely position to be the first Muslim elected to Congress, as well as the first African-American elected to a federal position in the state of Minnesota. Ellison's campaign is based on an anti-war, pro-peace platform that also focuses on advocating for universal healthcare and environmental issues.
Ellison grew up as a Catholic in Detroit, later converting to Islam during college. Ellison's campaign has emphasized inclusion among all faiths, races, and cultures as his positive victory brought Jews, Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims alike to celebrate. Groups that have openly endorsed Ellison's campaign include American Jewish World (Twincities newspaper), Sierra Club, Young Voters League, American Federation of Teachers, Democratic Farmer Labor Party, La Gente and the United Auto Workers are just among a few. To read more about Ellison's victory, you can visit the Minnesota Daily for its election coverage here. To hear Ellison speak about his campaign, please listen to his interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! by clicking here, or visit his campaign's website at keithellison.org.
