# Deqa Dhalac
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{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Deqa Dhalac
| image = Deqa Dhalac Headshot.jpg
| caption =
| state_house = Maine
| district = 120th
| term_start = December 7, 2022
| term_end =
| predecessor = [Richard Evans](/source/Richard_Evans_(Maine_politician))
| successor =
| office1 = Mayor of [South Portland, Maine](/source/South_Portland%2C_Maine)
| term_start1 = December 7, 2021
| term_end1 = December 7, 2022
| predecessor1 = Misha Pride
| successor1 = Kate Lewis (designate)
| birth_name = Deqa Dhalac
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1968}}
| birth_place = [Mogadishu, Somalia](/source/Mogadishu%2C_Somalia)
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States))
| relatives =
| children = 3
| alma_mater = [University of New Hampshire](/source/University_of_New_Hampshire)
[University of New England](/source/University_of_New_England_(United_States))
}}
'''Deqa Dhalac''' (born {{circa}} 1968 or 1969)[{{cite news|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2021/12/06/south-portland-selects-first-somali-american-mayor-in-u-s/|title= South Portland selects the first Somali-American mayor in U.S.|work=Press Herald|last=Bouchard|first=Kelly}}] is a member of the [Maine House of Representatives](/source/Maine_House_of_Representatives) for the 120th District.[{{Cite web |date=2022-11-16 |title=Mana Abdi on historic election: 'The want to make our community better is within reach for all of us' |url=https://mainebeacon.com/mana-abdi-on-historic-election-the-want-to-make-our-community-better-is-within-reach-for-all-of-us/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Maine Beacon }}] A Somali emigrant, she served as the mayor of [South Portland, Maine](/source/South_Portland%2C_Maine) from 2021 to 2022, becoming the first African-born female mayor in the United States.[{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/07/metro/somali-american-woman-is-now-mayor-south-portland-maine-first-country/|title=A Somali-American woman is now mayor of South Portland, Maine, a first for the country|work=Boston Globe|date=December 7, 2021|author=Sahar Fatima}}] Alongside [Mana Abdi](/source/Mana_Abdi), she is the first [Somali-American](/source/Somali_Americans) to serve as a Maine legislator.[{{Cite web |date=2022-11-16 |title=Mana Abdi on historic election: 'The want to make our community better is within reach for all of us' |url=https://mainebeacon.com/mana-abdi-on-historic-election-the-want-to-make-our-community-better-is-within-reach-for-all-of-us/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Maine Beacon |language=en-US}}]
== Early life ==
Dhalac was born in the capital city of [Mogadishu](/source/Mogadishu), the middle child with two brothers. Her father, a [petroleum engineer](/source/petroleum_engineer), was very politically outspoken. Dhalac described her father as a [feminist](/source/feminist) because he believed in the importance of girls' education and their important role in the family unit. He died in 1989. She learned English as a child as part of her education.[
== Time period as a refugee ==
Due to the precipitating events leading to the [Somali Civil War](/source/Somali_Civil_War), Dhalac fled in 1990, to [Rome](/source/Rome) on a flight intended to head to [Libya](/source/Libya). Because there were no more embassy services available on the precipice of war, she planned to apply for [asylum](/source/right_of_asylum). Seventeen other people had the same idea and were held at the airport for over a month. She was released to the care of her cousin who lived in Italy. Dhalac then moved to England, and to [Toronto](/source/Toronto) in 1991.][
== Life in America ==
In 1992, she married Abdi Farah, a Somali businessman from [Atlanta](/source/Atlanta), whose family had been close with her own, and began activism to get immigrants to become citizens and register to vote. She worked as a cashier in a [parking garage](/source/parking_garage). With her [accounting](/source/accounting) degree, she received an [accounts receivable](/source/accounts_receivable) job in a hotel a few months later. Because she had known [English as a second language](/source/English_as_a_second_language), it was easier for her to excel in her career in the United States.
In 2005, she moved to [Lewiston, Maine](/source/Lewiston%2C_Maine), with her family but without her husband, who stayed to take care of his business in Atlanta but visits them frequently. She has lived in [South Portland, Maine](/source/South_Portland%2C_Maine) since 2008, where she raised her three children.][{{cite web|url=https://legislature.maine.gov/housedems/dhalac/index.html|title=Representative Deqa Dhalac|publisher=legislature.maine.gov|access-date=December 14, 2023}}]
Dhalac became an interpreter for [Catholic Charities Maine](/source/Catholic_Charities_USA) before opening her own [interpreting](/source/language_interpretation) service, and earned two masters' degrees in policy and social work from the [University of New Hampshire](/source/University_of_New_Hampshire) and the [University of New England](/source/University_of_New_England_(United_States)).[
She co-founded co-founder at Cross Cultural Community Services (CCCS).][https://www.crossculturalcommunityservices.org/people/deqa-dhalac] She was assistant executive director at Gateway Community Services.[https://www.maine.gov/housedems/dhalac]
== Political career ==
In 2018, Dhalac became the first Somali-American and the first Muslim elected to the South Portland city council.[{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/07/us/maine-mayor-deqa-dhalac-somali-cec/index.html|title= A Maine city that's 90% White now has a Somali mayor|work=CNN|access-date=2022-01-21|last=Shoichet|first=Catherine E.}}] She then ran unopposed in 2020.[
Dhalac made national headlines as the first Somali-American mayor in the United States when she was elected unanimously by the City Council as the mayor of South Portland.][
In 2022, after State Representative [Victoria Morales](/source/Victoria_Morales) withdrew from the race for Maine's 120th State House District, Dhalac was nominated to take her place on the ballot.][{{Cite web |date=2022-07-15 |title=The US' first Somali-American mayor, Deqa Dhalac, is making a bid for the Maine State House |url=https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2022-07-15/the-us-first-somali-american-mayor-deqa-dhalac-is-making-a-bid-for-the-maine-state-house |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Maine Public }}] She won election to the Maine House of Representatives on November 8, 2022.[{{Cite web |date=2022-12-10 |title=Maine swears in its most diverse legislature yet, including its first Black Speaker |url=https://www.tpr.org/2022-12-10/maine-swears-in-its-most-diverse-legislature-yet-including-its-first-black-speaker |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=TPR }}]
In early 2026, Dhalac announced she would not seek reelection,[{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/deqa-dhalac-won-t-seek-reelection-to-maine-house-citing-hostility-and-racism/ar-AA1Vg25v?ocid=BingNewsVerp |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.msn.com}}] saying that during her time serving in the Maine Legislature, the climate has become "increasingly hostile and unsafe." Dhalac previously served as the co-executive director of Gateway Community Services, which has been under scrutiny after documents show the organization was overpaid by the state $1.7 million for Medicaid services.[{{Cite web |last=Mistler |first=Steve |date=2026-01-23 |title=State referred embattled MaineCare provider for fraud investigation before halting payments |url=https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2026-01-23/state-referred-embattled-mainecare-provider-for-fraud-investigation-before-halting-payments |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Maine Public |language=en}}] State Republican leaders last month requested she be removed from the appropriations committee following Gateway's referral by DHHS to the Office of the Attorney General for investigation.