Mohamed Al-Hamdani runs a law firm in downtown Dayton, OH. He's also Muslim and was an Iraqi refugee as a child. If voted as Chair, he'll be the first person of color and the first Muslim to hold this position.
“When my family arrived in America, we didn’t know the language or the people," Al-Hamdani said. 'But we knew the American dream. I stand here today as a living example of the opportunities America can provide. Montgomery County and Dayton welcomed my family with open arms, and from a young age this community inspired me to fight for progressive values.”
Al-Hamdani was raised in Dayton’s St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood and graduated from Dayton Public Schools and later Wright State University. After graduation, he worked as a Cultural Advisor for the Department of Defense during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Later, Al-Hamdani earned a law degree from the University of Dayton and founded the Dayton branch of Promote the Vote, President Barack Obama's voter protection program. He was also involved in local campaigns, including as campaign operations manager of Montgomery County’s 2014 Human Services Levy.
"I have two children, I have two boys, Adam and Zachariah," Al-Hamdani stated. "When they grow up, I want them to have examples of people like me in public office. And I hope this sends a message to all Muslims all over the country, not just here. That we are just as part of this country as everybody else."
Committee members from Montgomery County's 381 precincts will choose their new Chair of the Democratic Central Committee in 15 years. That will happen this summer.
“Every night, when I tuck my two sons into bed, I think about the world I want them to grow up in, and I know I must keep fighting for it,” Al-Hamdani said. “That is why I am running to be the next chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Party.”
