“I am humbled and honored that Montgomery County Democrats chose me to lead our party into the new era,” said Al-Hamdani. “When my family arrived in America, we didn’t know the language or the people. But this community, with its shared progressive values, welcomed us with open arms. These same values of acceptance, diversity, equity and economic freedom are what we as Democrats will fight for in the years ahead.”
He is the first Muslim to lead a county Democratic Party in Ohio, according to a release from the party.
Al-Hamdani grew up in Dayton’s St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood. He graduated from Dayton Public Schools and later Wright State University. After graduation, he worked as a cultural adviser for the U.S. Department of Defense during Operation Iraqi Freedom and later earned a law degree from the University of Dayton.
He founded the local branch of Promote the Vote, President Barack Obama’s voter protection program, and got involved in local campaigns, including as operations manager of Montgomery County’s 2014 Human Services Levy, the release stated.
He was elected in 2017 to the Dayton Board of Education and in 2020 was elected by fellow board members to serve as president.
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