Hamida Dakane

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Hamida Dakane

| state_house = North Dakota

| district = 10th

| term_start = December 1, 2022

| term_end = December 1, 2024

| predecessor = None (district created after redistricting)

| successor = Jared Hendrix

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Politician
community organizer

}}

| birth_place = Kenya

| education = North Dakota State University, University of Maryland

| party = North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party

| birth_date = {{circa|{{birth year and age|1989}}}}

}}

Hamida Dakane (born {{circa|1989}}) is a Kenyan-American politician who is the first Black and first Muslim person to serve in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. She was elected in 2022 as a Democrat to represent District 10 of the North Dakota House of Representatives, centered in Fargo. Hamida is somali by ethnicity and hails from the Degodia, which is a sub clan of the saransor clan.

Life and career

Born in northeastern Kenya circa 1989{{Cite web |last=Glass-Moore |first=Adrian |date=May 17, 2016 |title=Refugees, health officials dispute report suggesting refugees carry TB risk |url=https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/refugees-health-officials-dispute-report-suggesting-refugees-carry-tb-risk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204133929/https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/refugees-health-officials-dispute-report-suggesting-refugees-carry-tb-risk |archive-date=2023-12-04 |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=The Dickinson Press}} and of Somali descent, Dakane moved to the United States in 2011 on a student visa to attend North Dakota State University. She chaired the NDSU Black Student Association while studying for her bachelor's degree in emergency management and international studies. She stayed in the United States to work as a community organizer after graduation. She first ran for political office in 2020, unsuccessfully seeking to represent District 16 in the North Dakota House of Representatives.

In November 2022, Dakane was elected to represent House District 10 for a two-year term from December 1, 2022, to December 1, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Ebuka |first=Ben |date=December 27, 2022 |title=8 things to know about Hamida Dakane, the first Somali woman elected into North Dakota State House of Representatives |url=http://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2022/dec/189235/8_things_to_know_about_hamida_dakane_the_first_somali_woman_elected_into_north_dakota_state_house_of_representatives.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203182037/https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2022/dec/189235/8_things_to_know_about_hamida_dakane_the_first_somali_woman_elected_into_north_dakota_state_house_of_representatives.aspx |archive-date=2023-12-03 |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=Hiiraan Online |language=en-US}} She represents the district alongside Rep. Steve Swiontek, a Republican. During North Dakota's 2023 legislative session, Dakane served on the Industry, Business and Labor and the Transportation standing committees and held interim appointments on the Workforce and the Agricultural and Natural Resources standing committees. Dakane and fellow state senator Kathy Hogan have sponsored mental health, childcare, and workforce development bills, most of which have been voted down by the overwhelmingly Republican state legislature.{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Dave |date=2023-05-02 |title=First Muslim elected to the North Dakota Legislature said she enjoyed the experience |url=https://news.prairiepublic.org/local-news/2023-05-02/first-muslim-elected-to-the-north-dakota-legislature-said-she-enjoyed-the-experience |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203182147/https://news.prairiepublic.org/local-news/2023-05-02/first-muslim-elected-to-the-north-dakota-legislature-said-she-enjoyed-the-experience |archive-date=2023-12-03 |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=Prairie Public Broadcasting |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Representative Hamida Dakane |url=https://www.ndlegis.gov/biography/hamida-dakane |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203182119/https://www.ndlegis.gov/biography/hamida-dakane |archive-date=2023-12-03 |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=North Dakota Legislative Branch}}

Dakane holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Maryland. In 2018, she was appointed to serve on the Fargo Human Relations Commission. She has received the Human Rights MLK Award from the City of Fargo and been named Woman of the Year by the Fargo YWCA.

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2020 North Dakota House of Representatives election, District 16{{cite web |title=State Representative District 16 |url=https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST |website=North Dakota Secretary of State |access-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517060738/https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST |archive-date=May 17, 2021}}

}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = North Dakota Republican Party

| candidate = Ben Koppelman

| votes = 5,434

| percentage = 29.28

}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = North Dakota Republican Party

| candidate = Andrew Marschall

| votes = 4,782

| percentage = 25.77

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party

| candidate = Tracey L. Wilkie

| votes = 4,448

| percentage = 23.97

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party

| candidate = Hamida Dakane

| votes = 3,869

| percentage = 20.85

}}{{Election box write-in with party link no change

| votes = 23

| percentage = 0.12

}}{{Election box total no change

| votes = 18,556

| percentage = 100.00

}}{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2022 North Dakota House of Representatives election, District 10{{cite web |title=State Representative Unexpired 2-Year Term District 10 |url=https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST |website=North Dakota Secretary of State |access-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531190227/https://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=Race&type=LG&map=DIST |archive-date=May 31, 2023}}

}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = North Dakota Republican Party

| candidate = Steve Swiontek

| votes = 1,687

| percentage = 40.03

}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party

| candidate = Hamida Dakane

| votes = 1,343

| percentage = 31.87

}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party