Momanyi has secured a second term in the Minnesota House of Representatives after winning a decisive re-election victory in District 38A.
Kenyan-born Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley received 9,852 votes, representing 71.8 % of ballots cast, while Republican challenger Charlie Kistler received 3,840 votes, or about 28 %, according to unofficial results.
Also Read
Momanyi thanks voters after victory
Speaking after the result, Momanyi-Hiltsley thanked voters, campaign volunteers and supporters who helped her return to the state legislature.
She said the campaign had been demanding, with long nights and uncertainty over whether her team would succeed.
The lawmaker also said the election period included personal attacks and attempts to damage the reputations of people associated with her campaign.
Her victory gives her another two-year term beginning in January 2027, subject to the formal certification of the results.
District 38A backs Democratic incumbent
Momanyi-Hiltsley represents Minnesota House District 38A, which covers Osseo and parts of Brooklyn Park.
Her Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is Minnesota’s affiliate of the national Democratic Party.
The result gave her a larger share of the vote than in her first successful House campaign in 2024, when she won the seat with about 65 % of ballots cast.
Historic political journey continues
Momanyi-Hiltsley first entered the Minnesota House in January 2025 after becoming the first state legislator of Kenyan heritage in Minnesota.
She was born in Kenya and later settled in the United States, where she built a career in business and management before entering elective politics.
Her official legislative record shows that she has served on committees dealing with housing finance and policy as well as human services.
Campaign focused on local issues
During the election campaign, Momanyi-Hiltsley highlighted issues including access to healthcare, housing, reproductive rights and firearm legislation.
Her campaign also emphasized representation and participation in public affairs, particularly among immigrant communities and groups that have historically been underrepresented in state politics.
The victory allows her to continue working on those priorities when the new Minnesota legislative session begins.
Kenyan presence grows in US politics
Momanyi-Hiltsley’s re-election comes amid growing participation by Kenyan-Americans in state and local politics in the United States.
Other Kenyan-born candidates also contested municipal races in Minnesota during the November 3 elections, reflecting a broader rise in diaspora involvement in public leadership.
For Momanyi-Hiltsley, the latest result extends a political journey that began with an unsuccessful state Senate bid in 2022 before she won election to the House two years later.
She is expected to begin her second term in January 2027 after the election results are formally certified.
