Nabeela Syed 1st South Asian Muslim, Indian-American Woman Elected To Illinois House

For the first time  in the history of the Illinois House elections, an Indian American  Muslim woman named Nabeela Syed  made history by becoming one of the members of the House and is also the youngest member

The 23-year-old Indian-American Muslim woman also becomes the first South Asian in the state legislatur.

Syed, a Democrat, won the 51st House suburban district in the November 8 midterm elections, by defeating Republican incumbent Chris Bos.

An elated Syed took to Twitter to shared her happiness over her election.

“My name is Nabeela Syed. I’m a 23-year old Muslim, Indian-American woman. We just flipped a Republican-held suburban district,” she tweeted noting, “I will be the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly.”

My name is Nabeela Syed. I’m a 23-year old Muslim, Indian-American woman. We just flipped a Republican-held suburban district.

And in January, I’ll be the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly.

— Nabeela Syed (@NabeelaforIL) November 9, 2022

Syed contended that she won the election because she engaged in a conversation with people – to give them a reason to get involved in our democracy and hope for better leadership that represents their values.

As per her website, Nabeela who was born and raised in Illinois, graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Political Science and Business Administration, where she served as the president of a pro-bono consulting organization assisting local businesses and nonprofits.

Professionally, Nabeela has worked with a variety of organizations, including EMILY’s List, to raise money to elect Democrats to Congress. Currently, Nabeela works for a non-profit in digital strategy supporting a variety of civic engagement efforts including voter mobilization, ending sexual assault on college campuses, and promoting gender equity.

Nabeela has been engaged in her community, serving as a mentor for youth as a high school debate coach. She is also active in her religious community at the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs and is a strong advocate for promoting interfaith dialogue and empowering young Muslim women to lead.

Also Read: Aruna Miller Becomes First Indian-American to Win Maryland Lt Governor’s Race