Samakab Hussein

Samakab Hussein (born October 12, 1980) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Hussein represents District 65A in the Twin Cities, which includes parts of the city of Saint Paul in Ramsey County.

Early life, education and career Hussein came to the United States from Somalia when he was 14. He received his bachelor's degree in business and accounting from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, and a M.A.P.L. in advocacy and political leadership from Metropolitan State University in 2023. Thao challenged many of Hussein's delegates, saying that they lived in Minneapolis, not Saint Paul. Hussein's campaign manager called the claims "absolutely baseless".

In 2016, Hussein was a delegate for Hillary Clinton in Minnesota's delegation to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The Minnesota delegation had the largest number of Muslim and Somali delegates at the convention.

Hussein supported former city council member and BMO Harris Bank senior vice president Pat Harris's 2017 Saint Paul mayoral campaign.

Minnesota House of Representatives Hussein was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2022. He first ran after redistricting and after six-term DFL incumbent Rena Moran announced she would run for Ramsey County Commissioner. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature, but was vetoed by Governor Tim Walz on May 25, 2023.

Hussein joined a group of four Muslim legislators who condemned a Star Tribune editorial cartoon they called racist and Islamophobic. Star Tribune CEO and publisher Steve Grove apologized for the cartoon. In the aftermath of a suspected arson at a Saint Paul mosque, Hussein said he would push legislators to hold the offenders accountable and called for solidarity with the Muslim community.

Electoral history

Personal life Hussein lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his spouse, and has two children. He is Muslim.