As the Democratic Party continues its deep dive toward radicalism, Dr. Adam Hisham Hamawy, a Princeton plastic surgeon, has won the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. Hamawy defeated a crowded field of 11 other candidates on June 2, 2026, and is now heavily favored to win the heavily Democratic district in November, replacing retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.
This victory reveals The Squad has embedded itself in the party’s direction. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and other progressive figures, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders and funding from progressive and pro-Palestinian groups, all threw their support behind Hamawy.
The candidate’s recent volunteer medical work in Gaza only reinforces his alignment with the most extreme voices on foreign policy. This outcome raises serious questions about the judgment of voters in one of America’s most liberal districts and the priorities of today’s Democratic Party.
Hamawy, born in Egypt and a former U.S. Army combat medic, frequently highlights his service treating wounded soldiers in Iraq and his volunteer work after 9/11. However, he had a documented multi-year association with Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the notorious Blind Sheikh, who was convicted for leading the deadly 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six Americans and injured over a thousand more.
As a young medical student in New Jersey in the early 1990s, he testified as a defense witness on the Blind Sheikh’s behalf during the high-profile 1995 federal terrorism trial. Reports show that he translated documents for Abdel-Rahman’s press activities even after the bombing and maintained a relationship that went well beyond casual acquaintance.
The Blind Sheikh, who died in federal prison in 2017 while serving a life sentence, was a key spiritual leader who inspired al-Qaeda networks and multiple plots against the United States.
Some of Sheikh’s followers carried out the first major terrorist attack on the World Trade Center years before 9/11. That a candidate with this documented history could easily win a Democratic primary should alarm anyone who takes national security seriously.
Hamawy perfectly aligns with the far-left wing of the Democratic Party. He champions “Medicare for All,” calls for abolishing ICE, supports efforts to dismantle elements of homeland security infrastructure, and pushes an aggressive anti-Israel agenda.
This nomination highlights how safe Democratic districts have become breeding grounds for fringe ideologies. Instead of addressing key issues like border security, economic growth, inflation, or crime, the party’s activist base is increasingly drawn to identity politics, open-border policies, and anti-Western causes.
Hamawy’s past associations were well-publicized during the campaign, yet primary voters dismissed them, revealing a troubling normalization of radical connections within modern progressivism.
Critics rightly highlight the hypocrisy. While Democrats frequently lecture about threats to democracy and the need to root out extremism, they have nominated a candidate whose early life choices put him in close proximity to a convicted terrorist conspirator.
Families of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing victims have voiced deep concern, questioning how such links can be dismissed decades later when the lessons of Islamist terror remain painfully relevant.
Hamawy’s defenders dismiss his involvement with the Blind Sheikh as ancient history and a simple act of civic duty, pointing to his later military service and public condemnation of violence. However, judgment matters especially for someone seeking a seat in Congress with oversight of national defense and counterterrorism policy.
This race serves as a wake up call. As Democrats continue embracing its most extreme elements, the rest of the country must recognize what is at stake. Though New Jersey’s 12th District is blue, the consequences of electing candidates with such questionable past ties extend far beyond one seat. Principled leadership and an unapologetic defense of American interests have never been more critical.
