Egyptian doctor who undertook medical missions to Gaza will now go to US Congress

Egyptian-American surgeon Adam Hamawy has won New Jersey’s 12th congressional district, becoming the state’s first Muslim and Egyptian-American representative. His victory adds to Democratic gains in the midterm elections and was marked by a message of solidarity with people in Gaza and a promise to hold Donald Trump accountable.

Hamawy campaigned on healthcare and opposition to spending on war, earning support from pro-Palestine organisers and other voters. He said anti-Muslim hostility had been openly directed at his family, colleagues and friends during the campaign; he also faced attacks linking his values to those of a convicted cleric, after testifying in the cleric’s 1995 trial. Democrats are projected to take 250 House seats from January, compared with Republicans’ previous 218 to 214 majority.