Four Nigerian-Americans Elected in US Midterm Polls
Four Nigerian-Americans have emerged victorious in the November 3, 2026, United States midterm elections, securing elective positions across Maryland, Texas, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.
The winners are Will Jawando, Junior Ezeonu, Oye Owolewa and Carol Kazeem, while the outcome of another Nigerian-born candidate, Segun Adeyina, remained pending as vote counting continued.
Jawando, a Democratic candidate, won the Montgomery County executive race in Maryland, defeating Republican contender Esther Wells. Jawando, whose father is Nigerian, previously served on the Montgomery County Council.
In Texas, 27-year-old Junior Ezeonu secured a seat in the state House of Representatives for District 101. A Democrat, Ezeonu was the sole candidate on the general election ballot after no Republican entered the race.
Born in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ezeonu moved to Texas at the age of two. He previously served on the Grand Prairie City Council and became the city’s youngest mayor pro tempore.
Meanwhile, Oye Owolewa retained his at-large seat on the District of Columbia Council in Washington, DC. The pharmacist and son of Nigerian immigrants from Kwara and Osun states reportedly secured 69 per cent of the votes.
In Pennsylvania, Carol Kazeem also won re-election to the state House of Representatives, representing District 159. She contested on the Democratic Party platform against Republican candidate Michael Bannon.
However, Segun Adeyina, who is seeking another term in the Georgia House of Representatives, had yet to be declared winner. The Nigerian-born Democrat was leading Republican challenger Charles Lollar in early results, although only a small percentage of votes had been counted at the time.
Adeyina was first elected to the Georgia legislature in 2022.
The US midterm elections are held halfway through a president’s four-year tenure. The polls determine the composition of Congress, including seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as various state and local offices.
