Democrats Face Declining Backing from Somali Voters in Minnesota for 2024 Presidential Race
The Biden administration’s approach to the Israel-Gaza conflict has stirred unrest among Somali and Muslim Americans nationwide, contributing to Kamala Harris’s dip in support normally expected by Democrats. In Minnesota, community organizers dispersed leaflets in mosques and Somali shopping centers, urging folks to consider third-party options, portraying the administration as backing what they termed genocide in the Middle East.
Discussions with voters and community figures reveal alternative motivations: nostalgia for a robust economy under Trump, a desire to uphold conservative cultural tenets, and resentment over Democrats taking their allegiance for granted while overlooking their pressing issues.
“We once voted en masse for anyone the Democrats presented,” remarked Abdul Yusuf, a Minneapolis consultant engaged in promoting parents’ rights in public school curriculums concerning gender topics. “That era has concluded.”
Nationally, according to exit polls by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 53% of the Muslim vote, with Trump securing 21% and Harris just 20%. Speculation abounds that Harris might have lost Michigan due to Muslim opposition, while Trump clinched the support of several notable Muslim leaders in the state, including Dearborn.
Jaylani Hussein, the head of the Minnesota CAIR chapter, campaigned in pivotal states to unseat Harris and spearhead the “Abandon Harris” initiative. He shared experiences of Trump surrogates striving hard to engage Muslim leaders. Though past tensions due to Trump’s rhetoric were acknowledged, more Muslims now feel comfortable with his presidency.
Moreover, he believes the Gaza issue harmed Democrats in largely unheeded ways, including Minnesota, where the Democratic ticket’s narrow win was unexpected—Harris’s partnership with Gov. Tim Walz barely scraped through. Though Harris won Minnesota by 4%, Biden’s previous margin was nearly double.
Despite backing from the “Abandon Harris” movement, Stein’s Green Party struggled to galvanize in Minnesota, securing only 0.5% or 16,271 votes—half the support compared to 2016. Hussein noted a lack of enthusiasm and groundwork for Stein, alongside widespread disengagement among young voters.
Hussein argued that local Democratic attempts to bolster Harris’s appeal backfired, especially her association with Republican Liz Cheney, whom Trump criticized as warmongering. “The Democrats seemed intent on alienating Muslims, supplemented by Liz Cheney’s involvement,” Hussein exclaimed.
Trump earned 12% of the vote in Democratic stronghold Minneapolis, with a spike in support in East African-majority precincts surpassing 25.7%. In the Riverside Towers precinct, Trump received 18%, with Stein trailing at 4%. Exit polls from The Wall Street Journal indicated that 20% of Black Minnesotan voters supported Trump, lacking specific data for Somali descent.
Discrepancies exist in precinct comparisons between elections in 2020 and 2024, yet some precincts retained consistent geographical boundaries over both cycles.
“I voted because of the economy,” Yousuf Mohamed, a trucker from Ward 6, expressed after supporting Trump. The father of four cited a downturn in his business, trusting Republican leadership for recovery.
Ward 6’s Council Member Jamal Osman, aligned with the DFL, echoed similar sentiments from East African truckers mourning past business prosperity under Trump. Now, work is sluggish, inciting discontent over Gaza and a perception of being undervalued despite their committed support for the Democratic establishment.
“The backing of Trump stems not from genuine support, but frustration over unmet expectations by Biden’s administration,” Osman clarified. “It’s more of a protest against the current trajectory of the nation.”
Nevertheless, the community harbors doubts about Trump’s immigration stance, fearing deportations or denaturalizations. Osman insists state Republicans offer little to appeal locally, while he credits the DFL for substantial contributions to Somali Americans.
In recent years, Yusuf observed a shift among Somali Americans from Democrats toward preserving family and cultural values, advocating for parents’ rights over educational content in public schools concerning LGBT and gender topics. The Gaza situation, he says, simply compounded these worries.
“Preserving our cultural principles in raising children is fundamental,” emphasized Yusuf, spokesperson for the Minnesota Community Vanguard, an organization championing parental rights. He noted alliances forming with various faiths and cultures prioritizing similar concerns.
Yusuf argues Democrats veered too liberal yet emphasizes evaluation based on the candidate rather than party affiliation. “It’s less about Democrat vs. Republican, more a matter of candidate suitability,” he stated.
In a symbolic gesture, Somali Americans gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol just before elections to endorse Trump, voicing their stances on public safety, school choice, the opioid crisis, economic issues, and peace.
Tayler Rahm, Trump’s senior advisor, expressed gratitude for the endorsement, stressing continued support for legal immigrants despite Trump’s prior controversial remarks about Somali resettlement. Standing at the lectern, Salman Fiqy asserted that Somali American values dovetail with GOP principles.
Running for state representative in the Republican primary, Fiqy engaged with the Somali community, revealing growing GOP receptiveness. “The outreach initiatives to Somali communities pleasantly surprised GOP candidates with the warm receptions,” asserted Fiqy, a Burnsville entrepreneur.
Contribution to this narrative by Jake Steinberg, Star Tribune graphics producer, specializing in cartography and visual storytelling.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
