Nabeela Syed flips Republican-held Illinois Senate seat

CHICAGO (MNTV) – Nabeela Syed, a Democratic state representative and one of the first Muslim women elected to the Illinois legislature, has won a seat in the state Senate, flipping a Republican-held district for her party.

Syed defeated Republican appointee Darby Hills in Illinois Senate District 26, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times and other outlets, and announced her victory on Instagram.

Her win turns a Republican-held seat Democratic.

The victory is a step up for Syed, an Indian American Muslim who made history in 2022 when she was elected to the Illinois House at age 23, becoming one of the youngest members of the General Assembly and, alongside Abdelnasser Rashid, among its first Muslim members.

In the House she built a profile on consumer protection, health care and voting access.

Her election to the state Senate comes amid a historic cycle for Muslim American political representation.

MNTV has identified at least 51 Muslim Americans on the ballot nationwide this year, and Tuesday’s results have already produced a string of wins and milestones — from Abdul El-Sayed’s projected US Senate victory in Michigan and the reelection of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, to Aber Kawas’s win for the New York State Senate and Darializa Avila Chevalier’s election to the US House in New York.

This is a developing story and will be updated with official vote totals.