Introduction: A doctor from Gaza’s hospitals to Washington’s halls of power
Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon, army veteran and medical volunteer in conflict zones, has moved one step closer to becoming a member of the United States Congress. His victory in a crowded Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District has drawn attention far beyond the state, because of his firsthand experience treating victims of the war in Gaza.
If he wins the general election, Hamawy is expected to become the only member of Congress who has personally worked inside Gaza’s hospitals during Israel’s ongoing assault on the enclave. In a chamber that votes on billions of dollars in military aid, that kind of direct experience could significantly change how the conflict is discussed in Washington.
1. Who is Adam Hamawy?
Adam Hisham Hamawy is an Egyptian‑born surgeon, former US Army combat doctor and now a Democratic nominee for Congress. He was born in Egypt in 1969/1970, moved to the United States as an infant, and grew up in New Jersey before building a medical career in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Hamawy served as a combat surgeon in Iraq, where he helped save the life of Senator Tammy Duckworth after her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in 2004. Back in civilian life, he practices in Princeton, New Jersey, and has joined medical missions in several conflict areas, including Bosnia, Sudan, Haiti, Lebanon and Syria.
2. How he won a crowded Democratic primary in New Jersey
Hamawy emerged from a highly competitive Democratic primary to replace retiring Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman in New Jersey’s 12th District, a safely Democratic seat. He defeated around a dozen candidates and secured roughly 28 percent of the vote, enough to win in a fragmented field.
The district leans strongly toward Democrats, which means the primary result likely matters more than the November general election. Hamawy will face Republican candidate Gregg Mele, but most observers expect him to win and go to Congress in January. That makes his primary victory a major moment for voters who want a stronger pro‑Palestinian voice in Washington.
3. Gaza: the experience that pushed him to run
In 2024, Hamawy volunteered at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, where he treated children and adults wounded in Israeli attacks. He has spoken about operating on a child who lost an arm and most of his family, saying that such experiences were impossible to “turn off” once he returned home.
Hamawy described nights without sleep under constant bombing and drones, and the feeling of having no control over his own safety while trying to save others. After returning to the US, he travelled to Washington to brief lawmakers on what he had witnessed, but he says many either remained silent or refused to meet him. That frustration, he explained, was a key reason he decided to run for office himself.
4. Why his Gaza background is so rare in Congress
Congress has enormous influence over the lives of Palestinians in Gaza, because it approves US military aid to Israel and can block or allow arms transfers. Yet very few US lawmakers have set foot in Gaza in recent years, especially since Israel tightened its blockade of the enclave.
Representative Mark Pocan said in 2023 that no sitting member of Congress had been allowed into Gaza for about a decade, and efforts by him and two colleagues to gain access were rejected. In this context, Hamawy’s direct experience inside Gaza’s hospitals stands out sharply from the usual pattern of tightly controlled official trips to Israel and the occupied West Bank. If elected, he would bring a perspective that most of his colleagues only know through reports and second‑hand briefings.
5. Endorsements from Tammy Duckworth, Bernie Sanders and progressive groups
Hamawy’s campaign drew support from prominent national figures. Senator Tammy Duckworth praised him as the doctor who helped save her life in Iraq and backed his run for Congress.
He also received an endorsement from Senator Bernie Sanders, who has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s actions and US policy in the region. A new pro‑Palestinian super PAC called American Priorities spent millions of dollars on ads in support of his candidacy, arguing that it was time to counter the influence of AIPAC and similar groups in Democratic primaries. Together, these endorsements and outside spending helped make Hamawy a leading contender in a crowded field.
6. Controversy over past ties and his response
As Hamawy’s campaign gained momentum, opponents raised questions about his past connection to Omar Abdel‑Rahman, a Muslim cleric from New Jersey convicted in the 1990s of inspiring attacks in the United States. Hamawy has said he knew Abdel‑Rahman through the local Egyptian American community but has never been accused of any wrongdoing himself.
He has stressed that he rejects all forms of violence and that attempts to link him to extremism are part of an old pattern of smearing Muslim candidates. In his victory speech, he said his win showed that voters are less willing than before to be swayed by racist or anti‑Muslim attacks in political campaigns. He framed the result as the start of a new era in which Muslim and pro‑Palestinian candidates can compete more fairly.
7. What Adam Hamawy could mean for US politics
If elected, Hamawy would likely be the fifth Muslim member of the House of Representatives and one of the very few lawmakers with frontline medical experience in two major conflicts: Iraq and Gaza. He has promised to push Congress to confront both the human cost of Israel’s war and the impact of US spending priorities on healthcare and basic services at home.
Supporters see him as part of a broader wave of progressive candidates in safe Democratic districts who are more willing to challenge traditional foreign‑policy thinking. For critics, his positions on Gaza and Israel are too sharp, and they worry he will deepen existing divides in Washington. Either way, Adam Hamawy’s journey from operating rooms in Gaza to the halls of Congress is already reshaping debates about whose stories and experiences deserve a seat at the table.
