{{Short description|Somali-American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Safiya Khalid | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1996}} | birth_place = Somalia | office = Member of the Lewiston City Council | alma_mater = University of Southern Maine (BA) | party = Democratic | term_start = January 6, 2020 | term_end = January 3, 2022 }} '''Safiya Said Khalid''' (born 1996) is a Somali-American politician who served as a member of the Lewiston, Maine, City Council.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/06/safiya-khalid-lewiston-maine-city-council-somali-refugee/|title=Racist trolls targeted a Somali refugee's campaign. She still managed to pull off a historic victory|last=|first=|date=2019-11-06|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/11/historic-wins-somali-americans-elected-maine-minnesota|title='It's mindblowing': historic wins for two Somali-Americans amid ugly smears|last=Holpuch|first=Amanda|date=2019-11-11|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-11-19|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/11/06/lewistons-somali-community-reacts-to-first-somali-american-on-the-city-council/|title=Somali community revels in Safiya Khalid's victory in Lewiston council race|last1=Rice|first1=rew|last2=Journal|first2=Matthew Daigle Sun|date=2019-11-07|website=Press Herald|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2019/11/05/politics/safiya-khalid-becomes-first-somali-american-elected-to-lewiston-city-council/|title=Safiya Khalid becomes first Somali American elected to Lewiston City Council|website=Bangor Daily News|date=6 November 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/historic-win-lewiston-maine-elects-1st-somali-american/story?id=66853148|title=Historic win for Lewiston, Maine, as it elects 1st Somali-American to city council|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Citation|title=Somali woman overcomes racist trolls to win historic election in Maine - CNN Video|url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/11/07/somali-woman-elected-city-council-sot-ctn-vpx.cnn|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref>
== Early years and education == Khalid was born in Somalia. As a seven-year-old, Khalid fled the country with her mother and two younger brothers. Her family initially settled in New Jersey, before moving to Lewiston, Maine.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/racist-trolls-failed-to-derail-this-somali-refugee-s-political-ambitions|title=Racist trolls failed to derail this Somali refugee's political ambitions|website=SBS News|language=en|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref> At fourteen years old, she became an American citizen. She attended Lewiston Public Schools and graduated from Lewiston High School. Khalid went on to graduate from the University of Southern Maine, where she studied psychology.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://usm.maine.edu/publicaffairs/safiya-khalid-18-draws-worldwide-media-defeating-internet-trolls-and-winning-her|title=Safiya Khalid '18 draws worldwide media by defeating Internet trolls and winning her election |publisher= University of Southern Maine|website=usm.maine.edu|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref> Khalid is currently a graduate student at Northeastern University studying public policy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amjamboafrica.com/safiya-khalid-looks-to-the-future-and-reflects-on-the-past/|title=Safiya Khalid looks to the future and reflects on the past|first=Stacey|last=Warner|date=11 February 2022|website=Amjambo Africa|accessdate=9 April 2023}}</ref>
== Career == Khalid worked for L.L.Bean making boots during high school and college. After graduating, she worked for the Maine Democratic Party as a field organizer in Lewiston. She later worked as a clerk for the Maine Legislature's Committee on Housing and Labor. She currently works as a case manager for the nonprofit Gateway Community Services in Maine.<ref name="Journal">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sunjournal.com/2019/11/09/safiya-khalids-win-considered-milestone-for-lewiston-2/|title=Safiya Khalid's win considered 'milestone' for Lewiston|last=Journal|first=Lindsay TiceSun|date=2019-11-10|website=Lewiston Sun Journal|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref>
=== Politics === In 2017, Khalid ran for the Lewiston School Committee. She lost to the incumbent by a wide margin. Shortly after the election, she was elected as vice chair of the Lewiston Democratic Party.
In 2018, Khalid won a seat representing Androscoggin County on the Maine Democratic Party State Committee. She went on to be elected to the Maine Democratic Party Executive Committee.
In 2019, Khalid ran for the Lewiston City Council. On November 5, 2019, Khalid won the election with nearly 70 percent of the vote.<ref name="Journal" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/db373f88eec743cd9ab9d3d6d254e3e1|title=Somali who was target of threats wins US municipal election|date=2019-11-07|website=AP NEWS|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> Khalid took office on January 6, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://wgme.com/news/local/lewiston-swears-in-first-somali-american-city-councilor |title = Lewiston swears in first Somali-American city councilor|date = 2020-01-06}}</ref> She serves on the Lewiston Finance Committee, Lewiston Housing Committee, and the Community Development Block Grant Committee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lewistonmaine.gov/971/Ward-1-City-Councilor|title=Ward 1 Councilor Safiya Khalid | Lewiston, ME - Official Website|accessdate=9 April 2023}}</ref>
Khalid served as vice chair of the Lewiston Democratic Party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lewistondemocrats.com/officers|title=Officers|accessdate=9 April 2023}}</ref> She endorsed Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and served as one of his Maine co-chairs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/phish-co-founder-and-troy-jackson-among-those-named-as-maine-super-tuesday-co-chairs-for-sanders-campaign/97-0c503af1-dd3f-45f0-973c-43026d6c8703|title = Phish co-founder and Troy Jackson among those named as Maine Super Tuesday co-chairs for Sanders campaign}}</ref> After Sanders dropped out of the race, she endorsed Joe Biden.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=Safiya_S_Khalid |number=1248025688931631104 |first=Safiya |last=Khalid |date=April 9, 2020 |title=Even though many, including myself are terribly heart broken about Sanders Campaign, I know one thing for sure. That Bernie Sanders ideas are the future of this country. Being a 24 year old female I resonated with his ideas and mission and I know millennials and Gen-Z are too. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408231226if_/https://twitter.com/Safiya_S_Khalid/status/1248025688931631104 |archive-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>
In 2021, Khalid ran for chair of the Lewiston Democratic Party seeking to succeed outgoing Chair Kiernan Majerus-Collins. After facing hostility and racist comments at a party meeting, she withdrew from the race.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sunjournal.com/2021/07/27/lewiston-democrats-in-turmoil-as-election-season-begins/|title = Lewiston Democrats in turmoil as election season begins|date = 27 July 2021}}</ref>
== Election results ==
{{Election box begin |title=2019 Lewiston, Maine general election: City Council Ward 1}} {{Election box candidate |party = Democratic |candidate = Safiya Khalid |votes = 642 |percentage = 69.6 |change = NA }} {{Election box candidate |party = Democratic |candidate = Walter Hill |votes = 280 |percentage = 30.4 |change = NA }} {{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |title=2017 Lewiston, Maine general election: School Committee At-Large}} {{Election box candidate |party = Independent |candidate = Megan Parks |votes = 6,694 |percentage = 71.9 |change = NA }} {{Election box candidate |party = Democratic |candidate = Safiya Khalid |votes = 2,619 |percentage = 28.1 |change = NA }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalid, Safiya}} Category:1996 births Category:American politicians of Somali descent Category:Muslims from Maine Category:Living people Category:Somalian emigrants to the United States Category:University of Southern Maine alumni Category:Lewiston, Maine City Council members Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:African-American city council members in Maine Category:Women city councillors in Maine Category:Lewiston High School (Maine) alumni Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:Somalian refugees
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