Democrat Andre Carson, 33, won a special election in Indianapolis on Tuesday, March 11, becoming the second Muslim ever elected to Congress. He is the grandson of the late U.S. Rep. Julia Carson, who died in December 2007 after 11 years of service as Congresswoman. 

Carson contested the election against Republican Jon Elrod, and won with a 5,000 vote lead.  He will serve the balance of his grandmother’s term and will seek to be the Democratic nominee at a primary in May for a full term. Carson has said that one of his top priorities will be ending the war in Iraq.  Julie Carson was the first black to represent Indianapolis in Congress, and Andre Carson will be the first Muslim. He converted to Islam more than a decade ago.

"I'm a proud Hoosier," Carson said after his speech Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press. "I'm an Indy 500 Hoosier, I'm a Covered Bridge Festival Hoosier, I'm a Black Expo Hoosier, I'm a state fair Hoosier. I just happen to be a Hoosier of the Muslim faith."
 

Posted March 13, 2008