Munira Abdullahi

Munira Abdullahi
Abdullahi in April 2024
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
from the 9th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
Preceded byBishara Addison
Personal details
PartyDemocratic
EducationOhio State University (BA)

Munira Yasin Abdullahi is both the first Muslim woman and first Somali woman to serve in the Ohio State Legislature.[1][2] She is the representative for Ohio House District 9.

Early life and career

Munira was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, and moved to the US when she was 2 years old.[2][3] They moved to an apartment in the Northside neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.[2] She has type 1 diabetes.[2] Abdullahi graduated from Columbus Alternative High School and completed a bachelor's degree in political science at Ohio State University.[1][2] Prior to entering politics, Abdullahi worked as a paralegal and community activist.[4] Abdullahi was endorsed by a variety of groups, including Planned Parenthood and Ohio State Medical Association.[4]

Ohio House of Representatives

In the 2022 Ohio House of Representatives election, Abdullahi ran for District 9, newly drawn seat without an incumbent. She won the primary on August 2, 2022, with 67% of the vote over attorney Paul Filippelli. She then ran unopposed in the November 2022 general election.[1] In 2024, she was re-elected with 72% of the vote.[5] She is seeking re-election in the 2026 election and will appear on the general election ballot after running unopposed in the primary.[6]

Abdullahi is an advocate for expanded voting rights, and she opposed frequent voter list purges that threatened to remove new citizens' voter registration.[7] She has also backed congressional term limits and insulin price caps.[8][3] She's introduced legislation to protect Ohio Businesses Freedom of Expression by repealing Ohio's anti boycott and divest laws. [9] Her other legislation include affordable housing, consumer protection, legislation to prevent health insurance companies from disregarding the professional judgment of licensed medical providers, including expert diagnoses and prescribed treatments. And to establish Tuition Free Higher Education in Ohio. [10]

She also serves as the current Chair of the Ohio House Democratic Women's legislative caucus(ODWLC)[11]


Committee assignments

Abdullahi currently serves on the following committees in the Ohio House:[12]

  • Workforce and Higher Education (ranking member)
  • Development
  • Finance

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Primary results: Columbus picks a Somali American while Delaware ousts an incumbent". news.yahoo.com. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Columbus's Munira Yasin Abdullahi first Somali American and Muslim woman to serve at Statehouse | ColumbusFreePress.com". columbusfreepress.com. January 4, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  3. 1 2 "First Somali American nominee for Ohio House is ready to address priorities". WOSU Public Media. 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  4. 1 2 "Munira Abdullahi - Gongwer News Service-Ohio". www.gongwer-oh.com. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  5. ↑ "2024 Ohio General Elections Results - State House District 9". Columbus CEO. January 22, 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Trau, Morgan (May 3, 2026). "Everything you need to know about Ohio's May primary". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Rep. Munira Presses Secretary LaRose's to Answer Questions on New Citizens Voter Purge". Ohio House of Representatives. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  8. ↑ Velasco, Donna (2023-06-17). "Rep. Munira Abdullahi Pledges to Support Congressional Term Limits". U.S. Term Limits. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  9. ↑ https://ohiohouse.gov/members/munira-abdullahi/news/reps-rader-munira-introduce-legislation-to-protect-ohioans-freedom-of-expression-138090
  10. ↑ https://ohiohouse.gov/members/munira-abdullahi/legislation
  11. ↑ https://ohiohouse.gov/members/munira-abdullahi/news/ohio-democratic-womens-legislative-caucus-celebrates-passage-of-legislation-designating-march-as-womens-history-month-134208
  12. ↑ "Standing and Select Committees of the Ohio House of Representatives, 136th General Assembly". Ohio House of Representatives. June 3, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
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