First South Asian woman in state's General Assembly takes the seat; India-born Saba Haider wins Illinois House seat

India-born Democrat Saba Haider has won a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, becoming the first South Asian woman to be elected to the state's General Assembly in a historic outcome in the November 3 US mid-term elections.

Haider defeated Republican Brian Scopa in the 84th District, securing 20,756 votes, or 70.9 per cent, against Scopa's 8,520 votes, or 29.1 per cent.

The constituency covers parts of Will, DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties, including Aurora, Naperville, Oswego, Montgomery and Boulder Hill.


Haider's victory marks another step in her political journey in Illinois, where she previously served as a DuPage County Board member and worked as a community advocate.

Born in India, Haider's family hails from Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh. She immigrated to the United States around 20 years ago and has since been involved in community and public service.

Before entering state-level politics, she served on the DuPage County Board, where she chaired its Strategic Planning and Environmental committees. She also served on the Public Health Board of the DuPage County Health Department and was associated with the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation.

An alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Haider holds a Master of Science degree in Wildlife Science from the institution.

Her campaign focussed on issues affecting working families, including affordable healthcare, education, economic growth and environmental sustainability. She also pledged to defend immigrant communities and protect access to public services.

During her campaign, Haider said her experience as an immigrant had shaped her understanding of the challenges faced by working families.

"I know firsthand the struggles our working families are going through, and I want to work with our elected officials to find solutions to the problems we all face," she had said.

Reacting to her victory, Haider said her campaign had spent the previous 15 months reaching voters across the district to understand their concerns and priorities.

Describing it as a "grassroots, people-powered movement", she thanked voters, her family, campaign team and volunteers.

"Ultimately this election was about the people who call this community home. It was about building the future we all deserve," she said in a social media post.

Her Republican opponent, Brian Scopa, received 29.1 per cent of the votes. Scopa, a former US Navy officer, had contested the seat on the Republican ticket.

The AMU Network congratulated Haider on her victory, describing it as a "proud moment for the university community".