09/14/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FGwaoUfZm/
We all should be worried.
Jamie Bonkiewicz, a political commentator who has drawn a following on X for her posts pushing back on right-wing rhetoric about Muslim candidates, said in a widely shared post that Americans should not be worried about Muslim politicians being elected, adding, “I’m more worried about Americans electing p*dophiles, felons and r*pists.”
The comment came amid a wider wave of Republican commentary questioning the growing number of Muslim elected officials in the United States, including New York City’s Zohran Mamdani and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Bonkiewicz has repeatedly used her platform to challenge that framing, previously asking why “MAGA” figures single out Mamdani for his faith while giving figures like Dr. Oz, who is also Muslim, a pass.
According to the 2026 Directory of Elected Muslim Officials, there are currently 228 American Muslim elected officials serving across 26 states. Critics of the officials, writing in outlets such as RealClearInvestigations, have argued that Islam does not separate religious and civic life the way modern Christianity does, and have pointed to fraud investigations in cities including Hamtramck, Michigan, as cause for concern. Supporters of Muslim candidates counter that the Constitution’s Article VI bars religious tests for federal office and that singling out one faith group sets a dangerous precedent.
The exchange is part of a broader, ongoing argument playing out on social media ahead of the midterms, with commentators on both sides trading accusations of hypocrisy and bad faith over how religion factors into who Americans choose to elect.
