In the US midterm elections, Democrat Nabeela Syed, whose family has roots in Hyderabad, won Illinois Senate District 26. She defeated the sitting Republican senator, Darby Hills, with 57% of the vote in unofficial results, and the Associated Press called the race for her. The district in Chicago's northwest suburbs had long been held by Republicans.
A costly race
- WBEZ, citing Reform for Illinois, reports about $6.5 million in contributions, making it one of the most expensive General Assembly races ever.
- Syed received at least $4.7 million, more than $3 million of it from Democratic Party funds.
- Hills raised $1.8 million.
Who she is
Syed's parents emigrated from Hyderabad to Palatine, Illinois, in the 1980s. She is 27, earned a political science degree from UC Berkeley in 2021, and is finishing her second term representing District 51 in the Illinois House. WBEZ describes her as the youngest woman elected to the General Assembly.
"Communicating that vision here locally was a large part of us flipping this district," she told supporters. She named lower prescription drug costs and wider insurance cover for preventive care as priorities.
