Four Nigerian Americans secured victories in the United States midterm elections, winning seats in local government and state legislatures in Maryland, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, according to results released Wednesday.

Will Jawando, Junior Ezeonu, Oye Owolewa, and Carol Kazeem are all Democrats. Their wins came as Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress.

JAWANDO

In Maryland, Jawando defeated Republican Esther Wells to win the race for Montgomery County executive.

The 43-year-old, an at-large council member, suffered a heart attack in early September. He had advanced from a competitive June primary, beating fellow council members Andrew Friedson and Evan Glass. His campaign focused on increasing education funding and expanding access to affordable housing.

Tuesday’s election results confirmed his victory. Jawando was born in Montgomery County to Olayinka Jawando, a Nigerian immigrant, and an American mother.

EZEONU

Junior Ezeonu, 27, won a seat representing District 101 in the Texas House of Representatives, defeating 54-year-old Christ Turner. Ezeonu had also beaten Turner in the Democratic primary.

Born in Onitsha, Ezeonu moved to Texas when he was two. He joined the Grand Prairie City Council in 2021 and later became the city’s youngest mayor pro tempore. He was the only candidate on the November ballot after no Republican entered the race.

OWOLEWA

Oye Owolewa won an at-large seat on the District of Columbia Council, taking 69 percent of the vote. Independent candidate Elissa Silverman received 21 percent.

Owolewa previously served as a shadow representative, beginning in January 2021. He has made his Nigerian heritage a prominent part of his political identity. Born to Nigerian immigrants from Kwara and Osun, he has said he was bullied at school because of his name. He is a pharmacist.

KAZEEM

In Pennsylvania, Carol Kazeem defeated Republican Michael Bannon to keep her seat in the state House of Representatives, representing District 159.

Kazeem, who was born in Pennsylvania, first won election in 2022. She was one of eight Nigerian Americans elected that year.

Nigerian-born Democrat Segun Adeyina is also seeking another term in the Georgia House of Representatives. Preliminary results put him ahead of Republican Charles Lollar, with 1,353 votes to Lollar’s 689. The final count has not yet been completed.

ASA