US may elect first Muslim senator. Why are few Muslims thrilled? Donald Trump-backed Mehmet Oz’s Senate bid fails to produce enthusiasm seen with previous Muslim firsts in US.

(Al-Jazeera) The United States may elect its highest-ranking Muslim official next week — a Donald Trump-backed Republican who has questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 elections.

Mehmet Oz, a television personality and retired surgeon of Turkish descent, is running in Pennsylvania against Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman in a race that could decide the fate of the US Senate for the next two years.

While many Muslim Americans have welcomed Oz’s candidacy, his run has failed to generate the excitement previous firsts spurred in Muslim-American communities. Oz is the first Muslim major party nominee for the Senate.

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