As midterm election races heat up across the U.S., more Muslim Americans are venturing to run for office, navigating the odds of success at a time of increasing polarization and political violence. Although President Donald Trump’s administration has adopted policies that have unevenly disadvantaged about 4.5 million Americans practicing Islam, the community appears to be galvanized into action as in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks when suspicion of Muslims spiraled.
In the leadup to the New York City mayoral election, Mamdani was on the receiving end of death threats, cyberbullying, and abusive commentary targeting his identity. The Washington-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate documented 35,522 Islamophobic social media posts on X between June 24, when Mamdani won the Democratic primary, and Oct. 31, one week before election day. In a large portion of the posts, the dehumanizing rhetoric included conspiracies that a Muslim takeover of America was imminent and that Mamdani was plotting another 9/11.