Ako Abdul-Samad
American politician (born 1951)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ako Abdul-Samad (born July 25, 1951) is a retired American politician. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives[1] from 2007 to 2025. Previously, he was a member of the Des Moines school board.
Ako Abdul-Samad | |
|---|---|
Abdul-Samad in 2021 | |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 34th district | |
| In office January 8, 2007 – January 12, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Ed Fallon |
| Succeeded by | Rob Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 25, 1951 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Occupation | CEO of Creative Visions |
| Website | legis.iowa.gov/... |
Early life and education
Ako Abdul-Samad was born on July 25, 1951, in Des Moines, Iowa. He was raised in the city by a single mother. As a teenager, he became involved in the Black Panther Party, but left Des Moines after the party's headquarters in the city were bombed in 1969.[2][3]
Abdul-Samad worked various jobs in the early 1970s, including a stint as an attendant aboard the Delta Queen. He converted to Islam around this time. He returned to Des Moines in 1975 and attended Des Moines Area Community College.[2][3][4]
Career
In 1996, Abdul-Samad founded the Creative Visions Human Development Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides educational programs for at-risk youth.[4]
In 2003, Abdul-Samad was elected to the Des Moines School Board, and served one term. In 2006, he was elected to represent district 35 of the Iowa House of Representatives, which serves parts of Des Moines. He was reelected in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022.[2] In 2024, he announced that he would retire at the end of his term and declined to seek re-election.[5]
Abdul-Samad served on various committees throughout his legislative career, including the House Administration and Rules, Education, Human Resources, and Public Safety committees.[2] He also served on the Health and Human Services Committee of the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments.[6] During the legislative session of 2017, he voted[7] 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.[8]
Abdul-Samad has served as chairman of the American Muslim Alliance and the Iowa Democratic Black Caucus. He also founded the African-American Islamic Association and co-founded the first black student union in Iowa.[9]
Personal life
Electoral history
*incumbent
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2006 [11] 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 [12] 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 [13] District 66 | Democratic | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | unopposed | |||
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2008 [14] 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 [15] 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 [16] District 66 | Democratic hold | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | unopposed | |||
| Iowa House of Representatives primary elections, 2012 [17] District 35 | Democratic | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | unopposed | |||
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2012 [18] District 35 Turnout: 10,889 | Democratic (newly redistricted) | Ako Abdul-Samad* | Democratic | 7,508 | 68.95% | ||
| Terrance Williams | Republican | 2,727 | 25.04% | ||||
