Muslims running for office in record numbers: report

As many as 90 Muslim-American candidates ran for statewide or national office this election cycle, the most since at least Sept. 11, 2001, The Associated Press reported Monday.

Roughly 50 of those candidates remain after primaries, according to the AP. However, that number is higher than the roughly dozen Muslim-American candidates that campaigned in 2016. 

That number could still dwindle, as several Muslim-American candidates face primary challenges in elections in Michigan and Minnesota, the news service noted. 

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There are still nine Muslim congressional candidates up for election, according to Jetpac, a nonprofit group that helps train Muslim-American candidates. Eighteen others are also campaigning for seats in state legislatures, and 10 are running for statewide offices, according to Jetpac data reported by the AP.

Most of those candidates are part of the Democratic Party, and some have faced Islamophobic rhetoric from their opponents, the AP reported.

The increased number of Muslim-American candidates reflects a larger trend of minority groups running for office in the 2018 election cycle.

The AP reported earlier this year that a record number of women are running for House seats during this election cycle.