Saba Haider: AMU Alumna From Bulandshahr Makes History, Becomes First South Asian Woman Elected To Illinois Legislature
India-born Democrat Saba Haider has scripted history by winning a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, becoming the first South Asian woman to be elected to the state’s General Assembly.
Haider won the November 3 US midterm elections from Illinois’ 84th House District, defeating Republican candidate Brian Scopa with 20,756 votes, or 70.9 per cent. Scopa secured 8,520 votes, accounting for 29.1 per cent of the total.
The constituency covers parts of Will, DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties, including communities such as Aurora, Naperville, Oswego, Montgomery and Boulder Hill.
From Uttar Pradesh To American Politics
Haider’s family hail from Aurangabad town in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. Her childhood was in Ghaziabad where her father, Syed Ali Haider, had moved to work.
After completing her schooling from Holy Child School, Ghaziabad, she went on to get higher education. She then went on to obtain her Masters of Science in Wildlife Science with a gold medal from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as reported.
In 2006 Haider married computer science engineer Ali Kazmi, and immigrated to the United States. They’ve been married for almost 20 years and they have two children.
From Community Work To Legislative Victory
Before winning the Illinois House seat, Haider served on the DuPage County Board and was involved in several civic and community initiatives. Her work included public health, education, environmental issues and engagement with local organisations.
She highlighted issues of concern to working families, like affordable health care, education, economic growth and environmental sustainability during her campaign. She also addressed issues related to the protection of immigrant communities and access to public services.
Her first-hand experience as an immigrant had given her a unique perspective on the struggles of working families, Haider said.
“I know firsthand the struggles our working families are going through, and I want to work with our elected officials to find solutions to the problems we all face,” she had said during her campaign.
Haider Thanks Voters And Campaign Volunteers
Reacting to her victory, Haider credited the result to months of grassroots campaigning and conversations with residents across the 84th District.
In a social media post, she said her campaign had spent the previous 15 months speaking to voters to understand their concerns and aspirations. She described the effort as a “grassroots, people-powered movement” and thanked voters, her family, campaign team and volunteers.
“Ultimately this election was about the people who call this community home. It was about building the future we all deserve,” she said.
The AMU Network also congratulated Haider, describing her victory as a proud moment for the university community.