Muslim voters in the United States overwhelmingly favoured Democratic candidates in last week’s elections, amid mounting anger at President Donald Trump’s policies, a new exit poll suggests.
The survey released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) shows 97 percent of Muslim voters in New York backed democratic socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. CAIR said it interviewed 1,626 self-identified Muslim respondents for the survey and recorded high turnout from Muslim voters.
Virginia’s Democratic Muslim American senator Ghazala Hashmi received 95 percent of the Muslim vote in the state in her successful bid for lieutenant governor, the poll found. Non-Muslim, more centrist Democratic candidates also drew strong Muslim support: Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger and New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill both received about 85 percent backing from Muslim voters, according to the study.
California’s Proposition 50, approving a congressional map favourable to Democrats, won 90 percent support from Muslim voters in the poll. CAIR said the results show American Muslims are “showing up, speaking out, and shaping the future of our democracy,” and that across four states Muslim voters demonstrated remarkable engagement and commitment to the civic process.
The November 4 election, one year before the 2026 midterms that will determine control of Congress, offered a boost for Democrats. The New York race, however, saw a spike of Islamophobic rhetoric—particularly from Republican lawmakers and commentators—after President Trump endorsed former Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo. CAIR said Muslim voters are “rising up in the face of anti-Muslim bigotry” to “build a better future for themselves and their neighbors.”
The poll’s results indicate Democrats are recovering some Muslim support that deserted the party in last year’s presidential election because of former President Joe Biden’s uncompromising support for Israel amid the assault on Gaza. CAIR said it recorded 76 Muslim candidates in last week’s elections, 38 of whom won.
In Michigan, the Detroit suburbs of Hamtramck, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights elected Muslim mayors. Several Muslim candidates are vying for congressional seats next year, including Abdul el-Sayed, who is seeking a US Senate seat in Michigan.