Mohamud Noor

For other people with similar names, see Muhammad Noor (disambiguation).
Mohamud Noor
محمود نور
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 60B district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2019
Preceded byIlhan Omar
Personal details
Born1977 or 1978 (age 45–46)
Somalia
Political partyDemocratic (DFL)
SpouseFarhiya Del
Children4
ResidenceMinneapolis, Minnesota
EducationMetropolitan State University (B.S.)
Occupation
WebsiteGovernment website

Mohamud Noor (Somali: Maxamuud Nuur, Arabic: محمود نور; 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.[1][2]

Early life, education, and career

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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.[1][3]

Noor earned a B.S. in computer science from Metropolitan State University.[4] He was a system administrator for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.[4]

Noor was the former director of the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based NGO serving immigrants.[5][6] In that role, he advocated for funding for Somali youth programs, job skills programs, childcare programs, and mental health services.[7][8] 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.[9][10]

Prior local campaigns

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Minneapolis public school board

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In 2010, Noor ran for a seat on the board of the Minneapolis Public Schools, finishing in fifth place.[11] 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.[12] He resigned from the school board to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2014.[13]

Minnesota Senate

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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.[14][15]

Minneapolis City Council Ward 6

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In 2017, Noor challenged incumbent Abdi Warsame for City Council in Minneapolis Ward 6.[16] 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.[16] At the DFL Ward 6 caucus, Warsame won the most delegates, and Noor joined another challenger, Flynn Forslund, in asking that the caucus results be thrown out.[17] Noor pulled out of the endorsement convention, citing "a potential safety risk for participants".[18]

In September, Noor and Mayor Betsy Hodges endorsed each other.[19] He was also endorsed by state legislators Ilhan Omar, Karen Clark, Raymond Dehn, Jim Davnie, Scott Dibble and Patricia Torres Ray.[20]

Noor lost to Wasame in November, and accused Warsame's campaign of violating election day and campaign laws.[21] He said he would "fight to make sure every vote is counted, and the numerous irregularities that were reported are fully investigated".[21] Noor requested a "discretionary" recount paid for by his own funds.[20] After a recount left the result unchanged, an attorney for Noor withdrew the challenge, but Noor filed a personal lawsuit asking a judge to invalidate the election.[22][23] He claimed to have evidence that "at least 100 people appear to have voted in our election who do not live in Ward 6".[23] A Hennepin County judge dismissed the lawsuit in December 2017.[23]

Minnesota House of Representatives

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Noor was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since.[1] He first ran in 2014, unsuccessfully challenging 21-term incumbent Phyllis Kahn in the DFL primary.[24] In 2016, Noor again challenged Kahn, as did Ilhan Omar.[15] The DFL convention ended with no endorsement, but Omar defeated both Khan and Noor in the DFL primary and won the general election.[25][15] In 2018 Noor ran for the seat again, after Omar announced she would not seek reelection in order to run for Minnesota's 5th congressional district.[26][11] Noor won both the DFL primary and the general election.[27] 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.[1]

Political positions

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Noor has called for the legislature to address racial disparities in health care, education, unemployment, and housing.[28] He supported efforts to pass the Driver's Licenses for All bill, which allows unauthorized immigrants in the state to obtain a driver's license, calling it a "moral obligation".[29]

Noor criticized President Donald Trump for his anti-Somali rhetoric and posts on social media ahead of a 2018 visit.[30] 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.[31]

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.[4][5] He supported interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery for Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War, as well as the Affordable Care Act.[5] Noor's campaign also supported same-sex marriage.[32] He was endorsed by former Minneapolis mayor R. T. Rybak and several local progressive groups,[3] including the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Stonewall DFL, and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers.[4]

Electoral history

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2010 Primary for Minneapolis School Board Director At Large[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Richard Mammen 12,699 21.69
Independent Rebecca Gagnon 8,449 14.43
Independent Chanda Smith Baker 8,296 14.17
Independent T. Williams 7,313 12.49
Independent Mohamud Noor 6,222 10.63
Independent Shirlynn Lachapelle 4,559 7.79
Independent Doug Mann 3,941 6.73
Independent James Everett 3,194 5.45
Independent Steven C. Lasey 2,625 4.48
Independent R.E. (Dick) Velner 1,261 2.15
Total votes 58,559 100.00
2011 DFL Primary for Minnesota Senate - District 59 Special Election[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Kari Dziedzic 1,965 32.11
Democratic (DFL) Mohamud Noor 1,626 26.57
Democratic (DFL) Peter Wagenius 1,089 17.80
Democratic (DFL) Paul Ostrow 792 12.94
Democratic (DFL) Jacob Frey 473 7.73
Democratic (DFL) Alicia Frosch 36 0.59
Total votes 5,981 100.00
2014 DFL Primary for Minnesota State House - District 60B[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Phyllis Kahn (incumbent) 2,332 54.47
Democratic (DFL) Mohamud Noor 1,949 45.53
Total votes 4,281 100.00
2016 DFL Primary for Minnesota State House - District 60B[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Ilhan Omar 2,404 40.97
Democratic (DFL) Mohamud Noor 1,738 29.62
Democratic (DFL) Phyllis Kahn (incumbent) 1,726 29.62
Total votes 4,281 100.00
2018 DFL Primary for Minnesota State House - District 60B[37]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Mohamud Noor 2,909 39.73
Democratic (DFL) Peter Wagenius 2,076 28.35
Democratic (DFL) Cordelia Pierson 1,287 17.58
Democratic (DFL) Haaris Pasha 374 5.11
Democratic (DFL) Joshua Preston 335 4.58
Democratic (DFL) Mary Mellen 257 3.51
Democratic (DFL) Angelo Jaramillo 84 1.15
Total votes 7,332 100.00
2018 Minnesota State House - District 60B[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Mohamud Noor 16,440 86.26
Republican Joseph Patiño 2,552 13.39
Write-in 67 0.35
Total votes 19,059 100.00
Democratic (DFL) hold
2020 Minnesota State House - District 60B[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Mohamud Noor (incumbent) 16,754 98.06
Write-in 331 1.94
Total votes 17,085 100.00
Democratic (DFL) hold
2020 Minnesota State House - District 60B[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Mohamud Noor (incumbent) 9,039 98.74
Write-in 115 1.26
Total votes 9,154 100.00
Democratic (DFL) hold

Personal life

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Noor is Muslim.[3] He is married to Farhiya Del, with whom he has four children.[4][41] The family lives in Minneapolis's Como neighborhood.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Noor, Mohamud - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  2. ^ "Rep. Mohamud Noor (60B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  3. ^ a b c Potter, Kyle (August 3, 2014). "Somali candidate eyes milestone in US race". Associated Press.
  4. ^ a b c d e Halter, Nick (December 5, 2011). "Minnesota: In Senate District 59, can community activism trump name recognition?". The Journal. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Harris, Marlys (8 November 2013). "Somalis turning to politics to get 'seat at the table'". MinnPost. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  6. ^ Koumpilova, Mila (October 25, 2016). "Minnesota Somali groups join to speak with one voice at Capitol". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  7. ^ McEnroe, Paul (February 17, 2015). "Twin Cities Muslim leaders challenge federal outreach effort as cloak for spying". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  8. ^ Koumpilova, Mila (October 12, 2015). "Somali child-care providers get help to boost learning". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  9. ^ Sherry, Allison (February 17, 2016). "Minnesota congressional candidates balancing Islamic sentiments". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  10. ^ Hopfensperger, Jean (February 3, 2016). "Minnesota Muslims welcome Obama's mosque visit, wish support had come sooner". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  11. ^ a b Van Berkel, Jessie (July 14, 2018). "Rep. Ilhan Omar's open seat draws wide pack of DFLers". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  12. ^ a b Brandt, Steve (16 November 2013). "Ranked-choice votes on board member released". Star Tribune. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  13. ^ Abdulahi, Jamal (March 23, 2015). "Minneapolis schools and the dangerous calculus behind the Counter Violent Extremism program". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  14. ^ Roper, Eric (7 December 2011). "Kari Dziedzic wins DFL nod for Senate race". Star Tribune. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  15. ^ a b c Rao, Maya (August 10, 2016). "'Relentless' Ilhan Omar sealed historic win in Minnesota legislative battle". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  16. ^ a b Belz, Adam (February 6, 2017). "Sometime allies Warsame, Noor are now opponents in Minneapolis race". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  17. ^ Belz, Adam (April 26, 2017). "Minneapolis DFL scrambles to reschedule Sixth Ward endorsing convention". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  18. ^ Belz, Adam (May 20, 2017). "Minneapolis City Council candidate Mohamud Noor drops out of Sixth Ward convention". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  19. ^ Belz, Adam (September 30, 2017). "Clout of Somali-American voters increases in Minneapolis elections". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  20. ^ a b Belz, Adam (November 23, 2017). "Recount set for Tuesday in Minneapolis City Council race between Warsame, Noor". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  21. ^ a b Nelson, Emma; Roper, Eric (November 8, 2017). "More new members win Minneapolis City Council seats, council president defeated". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  22. ^ Belz, Adam (28 November 2017). "Recount ends, Minneapolis Council Member Abdi Warsame's victory stands". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  23. ^ a b c Belz, Adam (December 7, 2017). "Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging Warsame's Minneapolis City Council election victory". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  24. ^ Condon, Patrick (July 13, 2015). "DFL's Kahn, Carlson now longest-serving state House members ever". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  25. ^ Coolican, J. Patrick (9 August 2016). "Next Minnesota Legislature won't have Reps. Phyllis Kahn or Tom Hackbarth". Star Tribune. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  26. ^ Van Berkel, Jessie (June 6, 2018). "District 5 hopefuls file candidacy as Ellison announces run for AG". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  27. ^ Dill, Emma. "After unsuccessful first bids, Noor takes House District 60B". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  28. ^ Rao, Maya (May 21, 2019). "Speaker asks if Democrats deserve the black vote in Minneapolis speech". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  29. ^ Van Oot, Torey; Van Berkel, Jessie (April 6, 2019). "Minnesota House votes to allow driver's licenses for immigrants in the country illegally". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  30. ^ Mahamud, Faiza (October 10, 2019). "Trump's visit stokes fear, anxiety among Somalis". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  31. ^ Coolican, J. Patrick; Montemayor, Stephen (June 23, 2019). "New documents revisit questions about Rep. Ilhan Omar's marriage history". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  32. ^ Yuen, Laura (November 29, 2011). "Why Mohamud Noor supports same-sex marriage". MPR News.
  33. ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 42A". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  34. ^ "2011 DFL Primary for Minnesota Senate - District 59 Special Election". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  35. ^ "2014 DFL Primary for Minnesota State House - District 60B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  36. ^ "2016 DFL Primary for Minnesota State House - District 60B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  37. ^ "2018 DFL Primary for Minnesota State House - District 60B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  38. ^ "2018 Results for State Representative District 60B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  39. ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 60B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  40. ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 60B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  41. ^ Brandt, Steve (7 December 2013). "Minneapolis school board adds Somali-American". StarTribune. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
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