'Ability, confidence, education, not minority identity': Family of Saba Haider on US poll victory

Ghaziabad: India-born Saba Haider's election to the Illinois House of Representatives is a matter of pride for her family back home in Uttar Pradesh, which believes her achievement is a demonstration of how education, self-confidence and a commitment to public service can transcend community identities.

"It's not about being from a minority community. It is about your abilities, your confidence, your education and the personality you carry.

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It does not matter which background, caste or community you come from," her brother Abbas Haider told PTI on Friday, reflecting on his sister's victory in the US elections.

"When you are an educated and civilised person and want to reach out to people with a spirit of service, you can win an election anywhere," he said.

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Abbas, who lives in Ghaziabad and runs a business, said the family was overwhelmed by the response to Saba's victory, with relatives, friends, neighbours and well-wishers visiting their home to congratulate them.

"Everyone is celebrating and distributing sweets among each other.

Relatives are continuously visiting us, and there is a steady stream of people coming to meet us. Our well-wishers, neighbours and members of the media are also turning up. We are sharing our happiness with one another," he said.

Saba, who traces her roots to Aurangabad town in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district, won the November 3 US mid-term election from Illinois' 84th House District, securing 20,756 votes, or 70.9 per cent, against Republican candidate Brian Scopa's 8,520 votes.

Recalling her visit to India last year, Abbas said Saba had already discussed her plans for another electoral contest with the family.

"She had told us that she was planning for the next big race. Her initial plan this time was to contest for the Senate, but for some reason her name did not go through at the party level. So, she subsequently contested the election for the state representative's post," he said.

Saba's immediate family, including her parents and Abbas, lives in Ghaziabad, while their ancestral home is in Bulandshahr's Aurangabad. The family also has agricultural land and business interests there, and their extended family continue to live in the ancestral town, Abbas said.

Their family comprises three siblings, with Saba being the eldest, followed by Abbas and their younger brother Zeeshan Haider, who is settled in Dubai and runs a business there.

Saba's father, Syed Ali Haider, has described her victory as "a moment of pride for the entire country, saying it was not merely a family achievement."

Her mother, Chandni, recalled that Saba had been interested in social and public activities since childhood and regularly participated in debates and speech competitions during her school days.

"Saba's husband also deserves credit for the achievement as he had been consistently supporting and encouraging her political journey," the mother said.

Saba's journey from western Uttar Pradesh to the US legislature has been marked by academic achievements and community engagement. After studying at Holy Child School in Ghaziabad and graduating from Ram Chameli Chadha Vishvas Girls College, she pursued an MSc in Wildlife Science from Aligarh Muslim University, where she won a gold medal.

She moved to the US after marrying computer engineer Ali Kazmi, a native of Bulandshahr, in 2006. Settling in the Chicago region, she initially worked as a certified yoga instructor, training college students and corporate professionals.

Her electoral journey began with an unsuccessful bid for the DuPage County Board in 2022. She contested again in 2024, defeating Republican candidate Patty Gustin by 8,521 votes to secure a seat on the county board. She subsequently chaired its environment and strategic planning committees, working on issues related to public health and community development.

With her latest victory, Haider has become the first South Asian woman to be elected to the Illinois General Assembly.

In a social media post after the result, she said: "We did it! We worked hard for the last 15 months talking to voters in every corner of District 84 to learn what they care about, what they want to see change, and how we can work together to build stronger, more prosperous, and more inclusive communities."