Politicians of Ghanaian Descent Making Their Mark on US Politics
YEN.com.gh looks at the people with Ghanaian roots blazing a trail in US politics
As more generations of Ghanaian immigrants establish themselves in the US, they are starting to leave a mark in the political sphere.
While not operating at the federal level, the Ghanaian community has become increasingly active in mobilising through organisations like the Ghana Diaspora Political Action Committee, which has been endorsing and supporting Ghanaian-American candidates at various levels of government.
Source: Facebook
Ghana has also found some cheeky backdoors into US politics with some hold Ghanaian names, like Kwame Kilpatrick, the former Mayor of Detroit, or most recently, Zohran Kwame Mamdani.
Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents, who also named him after Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president and a Pan-African hero.
But in the meantime, Ghana's mark on US politics is expected to grow beyond the few who are blazing the trail.
Politicians of Ghanaian descent in US politics
Congressman Gabe Amo
Gabe Amo is the Representative for Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District.
Amo is the son of Ghanaian and Liberian immigrants — his father is from Ghana and his mother from Liberia. He made history as Rhode Island's first Black congressman when he won the seat in the special election of November 2023.
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He graduated from Wheaton College, received a Truman Scholarship for public service, and after graduating, received a Marshall Scholarship to study public policy at Oxford.
Most recently before his election, Gabe served as the Deputy Director of the White House Office of Inter-Governmental Affairs and Special Assistant to the President, working as President Biden's principal liaison to mayors and local elected officials.
He serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries noted that as the son of Liberian and Ghanaian immigrants and an experienced former Biden-Harris administration official, he brings a unique perspective during a pivotal time for America's relationships around the world.
Amo won re-election in the general election on November 5, 2024, and his current term ends on January 3, 2027. His policy priorities include addressing gun violence, protecting Social Security, and restoring federal government functionality.
Kojo Asamoa-Caesar
Kojo Asamoa-Caesar was the Former Democratic Congressional Nominee in Oklahoma.
Source: Facebook
Asamoa-Caesar became the first Ghanaian American nominee for the US Congress, running as the Democratic nominee for Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District after winning a primary election on 1, 2020, against fellow Democrat Mark Keeter.
Though he did not win the general election against the Republican incumbent, his nomination was considered historic
John Quaye Quartey II
John Quaye Quartey II was a congressional candidate for California's 27th District in 2022.
Quartey is a first-generation Ghanaian-American and the grandson of Rev. Prophet James Nii Kpakpa Quartey, founder of Quartey Memorial Secondary School in Accra, Ghana.
Source: Facebook
His father, Joseph Nii Kpakpa Quartey, immigrated from Ghana to the United States in the 1970s and worked as a chemist for Chevron.
Quaye dedicated his life to public service — first as an intelligence officer in the US Navy and subsequently as a small-business owner dedicated to supporting other businesses in his community.
He ran for Congress in California's 27th District in 2022 and received the endorsement of the Ghana Diaspora Political Action Committee, though he did not win the seat.
Source: YEN.com.gh
