Mohamud Noor

Mohamud Noor (born 1977 or 1978) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Noor represents District 60B, which includes parts of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County.

Early life, education, and career Noor was born in 1978 in Somalia. Following the start of the civil war, he and his family sought asylum in Kenya. In 1999, they emigrated to the United States, settling in Minnesota.

Noor earned a B.S. in computer science from Metropolitan State University. He was a system administrator for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. In that role, he advocated for funding for Somali youth programs, job skills programs, childcare programs, and mental health services. He criticized Republicans and Donald Trump for rising anti-Islamic sentiment in 2016, and praised President Barack Obama for visiting a mosque and speaking out in support of Muslim Americans.

Prior local campaigns

Minneapolis public school board In 2010, Noor ran for a seat on the board of the Minneapolis Public Schools, finishing in fifth place. In December 2013, he was appointed to the Minneapolis school board, beating Ubah Jama by a 5-3 vote after the death of Hussein Samatar. He resigned from the school board to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2014.

Minnesota Senate In 2011, Noor lost to Kari Dzeidzic in a special election DFL primary for an open Minnesota Senate seat created by the retirement of nine-term incumbent Larry Pogemiller.

Minneapolis City Council Ward 6 In 2017, Noor challenged incumbent Abdi Warsame for City Council in Minneapolis Ward 6. He said he was "extremely disappointed" with Warsame's work on the council and that he would focus on jobs, housing, and police reform, and engage with constituents more than Warsame. Noor pulled out of the endorsement convention, citing "a potential safety risk for participants".

In September, Noor and Mayor Betsy Hodges endorsed each other. He was also endorsed by state legislators Ilhan Omar, Karen Clark, Raymond Dehn, Jim Davnie, Scott Dibble and Patricia Torres Ray.

Noor lost to Wasame in November, and accused Warsame's campaign of violating election day and campaign laws. He said he would "fight to make sure every vote is counted, and the numerous irregularities that were reported are fully investigated". He claimed to have evidence that "at least 100 people appear to have voted in our election who do not live in Ward 6". In 2016, Noor again challenged Kahn, as did Ilhan Omar. He has been reelected in every election since.

Noor has served as chair of the Human Services Finance Committee since 2023 and also sits on the Higher Education Finance and Policy, Human Services Policy, and Ways and Means Committees. He chaired the Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy Committee from 2021 to 2022, and was vice chair of the Jobs and Economic Development Finance Committee from 2019 to 2020. He supported efforts to pass the Driver's Licenses for All bill, which allows undocumented immigrants in the state to obtain a driver's license, calling it a "moral obligation".

Noor criticized President Donald Trump for his anti-Somali rhetoric and posts on social media ahead of a 2018 visit. He has defended his predecessor, Ilhan Omar, over attacks from Trump and conservatives, comparing them to claims that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

Noor's policy priorities were job creation via investments in the green economy, health care issues, and forging partnerships with the University of Minnesota. He also sought to secure more funding for schools, advocated a move away from complete reliance on property taxes, and backed the state government's request for a waiver to get out of No Child Left Behind. He was endorsed by former Minneapolis mayor R. T. Rybak and several local progressive groups,

Personal life Noor is Muslim. The family lives in Minneapolis's Como neighborhood.