Four Nigerian-Americans have secured electoral victories in the November 3, 2026, United States midterm elections, winning positions in local government and state legislatures across the country.
The winners are Will Jawando, Junior Ezeonu, Oye Owolewa and Carol Kazeem, while the election result of another Nigerian-born candidate, Segun Adeyina, remained pending as votes continued to be counted in Georgia.
The victories were recorded in Maryland, Texas, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, according to results reported by PUNCH Newspapers.
Will Jawando Wins Maryland County Executive Race
In Maryland, Democratic candidate Will Jawando won the race for Montgomery County executive, defeating Republican Esther Wells.
Results published by NBC Washington showed Jawando polling 237,383 votes, representing 78.15 per cent, against Wells’s 66,383 votes, or 21.85 per cent, with 72 per cent of the expected votes counted at the time of reporting.
Jawando previously served on the Montgomery County Council. He is the son of a Nigerian father and an American mother.
Junior Ezeonu Wins Texas House Seat
In Texas, 27-year-old Junior Ezeonu secured a seat in the state’s House of Representatives for District 101.
The Democratic candidate defeated incumbent Chris Turner in the party’s primary election and subsequently emerged as the only candidate on the November general election ballot after no Republican opponent entered the race.
Born in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ezeonu moved to Texas when he was two years old.
He was elected to the Grand Prairie City Council in 2021 and later became the city’s youngest mayor pro tempore.
Oye Owolewa Wins Washington DC Council Seat
In Washington, DC, Democratic candidate Oye Owolewa won an at-large seat on the District of Columbia Council.
According to local publication The 51st, Owolewa secured 69 per cent of the votes, compared with 21 per cent for independent candidate Elissa Silverman.
Owolewa, a pharmacist, is the son of Nigerian immigrants from Kwara and Osun states.
He previously served as the District’s elected shadow representative, a position that advocates for Washington, DC’s statehood but does not carry voting rights in the US Congress.
Carol Kazeem Retains Pennsylvania Seat
Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Carol Kazeem retained her seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing District 159.
She contested against Republican Michael Bannon, with election results published by MultiState Elections listing her as the winner.
Kazeem was among eight Nigerian-Americans who secured legislative seats during the 2022 US midterm elections.
Segun Adeyina’s Georgia Result Pending
Another Nigerian-born politician, Segun Adeyina, was seeking re-election to the Georgia House of Representatives for District 110.
The Democratic incumbent faced Republican challenger Charles Lollar.
At the time of reporting, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s election tracker showed Adeyina leading with 1,353 votes against Lollar’s 689. However, only eight per cent of the estimated votes had been counted.
Adeyina was first elected to the Georgia House in 2022 and represents parts of Gwinnett County.
His official legislative biography identifies him as the executive director of the Nigerian American Public Advisory Committee, an organisation involved in voter education and registration among immigrant communities.
What to Know About the US Midterm Elections
The US midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s four-year term and determine the composition of Congress.
The 2026 elections feature contests for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats.
Governorships, state legislative positions and local government offices are also contested during the elections.
The midterm polls are widely regarded as an important test of the sitting president’s performance and political influence.
