Profile: Suleman Lalani, physician among Texas’s first Muslim lawmakers 

TEXAS (MNTV) – After nearly three decades of treating patients in Texas, Pakistani American physician Suleman Lalani entered politics with a concern that had troubled him throughout his medical career.

Many patients could not afford treatments that could improve or even save their lives.

As a doctor specializing in internal medicine, geriatric care and palliative medicine, Lalani had witnessed how financial difficulties and gaps in healthcare coverage prevented families from accessing essential medical services.

Those experiences helped shape his decision to enter public office, where he believed changing healthcare policies could improve the lives of more people than he could reach through individual treatment.

In November 2022, Lalani made history alongside fellow Democrat Salman Bhojani when they became the first two Muslim Americans elected to the Texas Legislature.

Now serving his second term in the Texas House of Representatives, Lalani is seeking reelection in the November 3, 2026, midterm elections.

The Democrat represents House District 76 in the greater Houston metropolitan area. He faces Republican Linda Howell after defeating Democratic primary challenger Marie Baptiste in March with 54.1% of the vote.

His campaign comes amid growing political tensions over immigration, healthcare and anti-Muslim rhetoric in Texas, where he has challenged attempts to portray Islam as a threat to American society.

From medicine to politics

Born and raised in Pakistan, Lalani completed his medical education before immigrating to the United States in the early 1990s.

He completed his internal medicine residency in New York and subsequently pursued fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

He eventually settled in Sugar Land, Texas, where he established his medical practice and raised a family with his wife, Zakia Lalani, a registered nurse. The couple have three sons.

Over the following decades, Lalani built a career treating patients, particularly older adults and people living with chronic illnesses.

He became board-certified in internal medicine, geriatric medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine.

For nearly two decades, he operated a medical practice near Sugar Land Town Square and Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital before transitioning into long-term care, visiting patients in nursing homes and other facilities.

His interest in policymaking grew through community organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, where he served as an ambassador to the US Congress.

The experience introduced him to the legislative process and demonstrated how government decisions could influence healthcare access and medical research.

In a 2022 interview with ABC13 Houston, Lalani described the frustration of knowing that treatments existed for patients who could not afford them.

“The most hurtful part as a physician was when I knew there’s a treatment or cure, but my patient could not afford it,” he said.

His community involvement also included the Aga Khan Foundation USA, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Fort Bend Rainbow Room.

These experiences eventually encouraged him to seek elected office.

Making history in Texas legislature

Lalani initially ran unsuccessfully for the Texas House before winning the District 76 seat in November 2022.

His victory coincided with that of Salman Bhojani, another Pakistani-origin Democrat who won House District 92 in Tarrant County.

Together, they became the first two Muslim lawmakers elected to the Texas Legislature, marking a milestone for religious representation in the Republican-controlled state.

Their victories came against a history of hostility toward Muslim political participation in Texas.

In 2015, Republican state representative Molly White instructed her staff to ask Muslim visitors to the state Capitol to declare allegiance to the United States.

Two years later, Muslim visitors attending Texas Muslim Capitol Day faced demonstrations against their presence, prompting supporters to form a protective barrier around them.

Lalani entered the legislature in January 2023, bringing decades of medical experience to debates over healthcare, education and public services.

He won reelection in November 2024, defeating Republican Lea Simmons.

His legislative work has focused heavily on improving healthcare access and addressing shortages of medical professionals.

During his first legislative session, he helped secure $5 million for the Family Practice Residency Program to support physician training.

He also secured a budget provision establishing a framework to obtain federal funding for a statewide medical stockpile.

His subsequent legislative work included measures addressing dementia research, nursing home standards, medical affordability and preventive healthcare.

Beyond healthcare, Lalani has supported legislation involving public education, consumer protection, artificial intelligence and online impersonation.

During the 2025 legislative session, he served as vice chair of the House Committee on Land and Resource Management and as a member of the Higher Education Committee.

He was also appointed to the House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability.

Challenging anti-Muslim hostility

Lalani has increasingly spoken out against anti-Muslim rhetoric in Texas politics, particularly during the 2026 Republican primary campaigns.

Several conservative politicians promoted anti-Islam messaging, warning against the supposed spread of Sharia, the Islamic system of religious and ethical principles.

More than 30 Republican legislators formed a group called the Sharia Free Texas Caucus, portraying Islamic law as a political threat.

Muslim civil rights organizations criticized the initiative as discriminatory and warned that such rhetoric could encourage hostility toward Muslim Americans.

In an opinion article published by the Houston Chronicle, Lalani criticized Republican politicians for using Islamophobia to mobilize political support.

He warned that portraying Muslims as a threat could contribute to discrimination and violence.

Lalani, a member of the Ismaili Muslim community, also expressed concern about threats directed at religious institutions, including an incident involving the newly established Ismaili Center in Houston.

He helped establish the Texas Interfaith Legislators Caucus alongside Democratic lawmaker Christian Manuel to promote cooperation among legislators from different religious backgrounds.

In June 2026, he participated in a Houston gathering bringing together Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders to discuss the political exploitation of religious differences.

His response to anti-Muslim hostility has become an important part of his public role as one of the state’s first Muslim legislators.

Political confrontation and reelection

Lalani also became involved in a major political confrontation in August 2025 when Democratic lawmakers left Texas to obstruct Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts.

The lawmakers traveled to Illinois, denying the Texas House the minimum number of members required to conduct legislative business.

Democrats argued that the proposed congressional boundaries would strengthen Republican political representation and weaken the electoral influence of communities supporting their party.

After returning to Texas, Lalani was placed under police surveillance.

A plainclothes officer followed him during his legislative duties, travel between Austin and Sugar Land, and visits to elderly patients at nursing homes.

The Washington Post documented the surveillance, which Lalani described as political intimidation.

His wife, Zakia, said the experience reminded her of political conditions in Pakistan.

Despite the confrontation, Lalani continued his medical work and legislative responsibilities.

He entered the 2026 election cycle seeking a third term in the Texas House.

In the March 3 Democratic primary, he defeated Marie Baptiste with 8,517 votes, or 54.1%, against her 7,228 votes.

He now faces Republican Linda Howell in the November 3 general election.

His campaign emphasizes healthcare affordability, public education, economic opportunities and community services, while his opposition to anti-Muslim rhetoric has added another dimension to his political career.

More than three decades after arriving in America to pursue medicine, Lalani is seeking to continue a journey that has taken him from treating patients in Texas to helping shape the state’s laws.