Ako Abdul-Samad (born July 25, 1951)[1][2] is the Iowa State Representative from the 34th District.[3] He has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2007. Previously, he was a member of the Des Moines school board. Abdul-Samad was born, raised, and resides in Des Moines.
Ako Abdul-Samad | |
|---|---|
 Abdul-Samad in 2021 | |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 34th district | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Ed Fallon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 25, 1951 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation | CEO of Creative Visions |
| Website | legis.iowa.gov/... |
Abdul-Samad is the founder and CEO of Creative Visions Human Development Institute, a nonprofit organization in Des Moines.
As of May 2013[update], Abdul-Samad serves on the Iowa House Administration and Rules, Education, Human Resources, and Public Safety committees. He also serves on the Health and Human Services Committee of the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments.[4]
Abdul-Samad is founder and president of the African-American Islamic Association.[5]
In February 2024, Abdul-Samad announced that he would retire at the end of his current term.[6]
Electoral history
edit*incumbent
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2006 [7] District 66 Turnout: 1,625 | Democratic | Ako Abdul-Samad | Democratic | 856 | 52.68% | ||
| Frank E. Affannato | Democratic | 332 | 20.43% | ||||
| Tre Wilson | Democratic | 212 | 13.05% | ||||
| Paul Lay | Democratic | 210 | 12.92% | ||||
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2006 [8] District 66 Turnout: 5,672 | Democratic hold | Ako Abdul-Samad | Democratic | 3,459 | 60.98% | ||
| Jack Whitver | Republican | 1,566 | 27.61% | ||||
| Jeff Johannsen | Independent | 398 | 7.02% | ||||
| Brett Blanchfield | Libertarian | 225 | 3.97% | ||||
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2008 [9] District 66 | Democratic | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | unopposed | |||
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2008 [10] District 66 Turnout: 10,303 | Democratic hold | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | 6,734 | 65.36% | ||
| Chris Moeller | Iowa Green Party | 1,889 | 18.33% | ||||
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2010 [11] District 66 Turnout: 1,304 | Democratic | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | 912 | 69.94% | ||
| Clair E. Rudison, Jr. | Democratic | 306 | 23.47% | ||||
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2010 [12] District 66 | Democratic hold | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | unopposed | |||
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2012 [13] District 35 | Democratic | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | unopposed | |||
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2012 [14] District 35 Turnout: 10,889 | Democratic (newly redistricted) | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | 7,508 | 68.95% | ||
| Terrance Williams | Republican | 2,727 | 25.04% | ||||
Voting History
editDuring the legislative session of 2017, Abdul-Samad voted[15] against cutting $70.1 million from the department for the Blind, the College Student Aid Commission, the Department of Education, and the Board of Regents.[16]
Personal life
editAbdul-Samad is a former Black Panthers lieutenant. His son was shot and killed at the age of 20 in 1997.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Meet the Candidate, Iowa House District 35: Ako Abdul-Samad". The Des Moines Register.
- ^ "State Representative".
- ^ Jackson, Sharyn (November 6, 2012). "Iowa House District 35: Ako Abdul-Samad wins". The Des Moines Register.
- ^ HHS Committee Roster Archived 2007-08-11 at the Wayback Machine CSG Midwest
- ^ "State Representative".
- ^ James, Kayla (15 February 2024). "Longtime state legislator Ako Abdul-Samad announces he's retiring at the end of this session". KCCI. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "2006 Primary Election, Official Results" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ "Official Results Report – Statewide, Election: 2006 General Election-11-07-2006" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. 2006-11-21. p. 41. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ "Official Results Report – Statewide, 2008 Primary Election-06-03-2008 Party: All" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. 2008-06-19. p. 205. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ "State of Iowa Official Canvass Summary, November 4, 2008 General Election" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. p. 52. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ "Official Results Report, 2010 Primary Election held Tuesday, June 8th 2010" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ "Official Results Report, General Election held Tuesday, November 2nd 2010" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. 2010-11-23. p. 107. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ "2012 Primary Election Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. p. 129. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ "2012 General Election Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. p. 81. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
- ^ Iowa Legislature. "House Journal, April 17, 2017" (PDF). Iowa Legislature. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ Iowa Legislature. "House File 642". Iowa Legislature. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ Crowder, Courtney. "Ako Abdul-Samad's been marching for decades. But the pain that powers his steps is a story few know". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
External links
edit
- Ako Abdul-Samad official Iowa General Assembly site
- Ako Abdul-Samad State Representative official constituency site
- Ako for Iowa official campaign site
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
