MUSLIM AMERICAN CANDIDATES

THERE are as many as 90 Muslim-Americans running for national or statewide offices this election cycle, a number of Muslim groups say was unprecedented, at least in the post-9/11 era.

But recent primaries  have whittled the field  down to  around 50, a number that still far exceeds the dozen or so that ran in 2016, said Shaun Kennedy, co-founder of Jetpac, a Massachusetts nonprofit  that helps train Muslim-American candidates.

Among the candidates to fall short were California physician Asif Mahmood, who placed third in in last month's primary for state insurance commissioner, despite raising more than $1 million.

And in Taxes, wealthy businessman Tahir  Javed finished a distant second in his Democratic primary for Congress, despite an endorsement from Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

None candidates for Congress are still in the running, according to Jetpack's tally. At least 18 others are campaigning  for state legislature and 10 more seek major statewide and local offices, such as  governor, mayor and city council.

Even more are running for more modest offices like local planning board and school committee.

The next critical stretch of primaries is in August.

In Michigan, at least seven Americans are on on the Aug 7 ballot,  including EL-Sayed, who could become the nation's  first Muslim governor.

In Minnesota,  the decision by Keith Ellison, the nation's first Muslim Congressman, to run for state attorney general has set off a political frenzy for his congressional seat that includes -

Two  Muslim candidates, both Democrats : IIhan Omar, the country's first  Somali-American state lawmaker, and Jamal Abdulahi, a Somali-American activist. [Agencies]