KABUL (SW) – A woman who fled Afghanistan as the Taliban seized control of her native Baghlan province won election to New Hampshire’s House of Representatives on Tuesday, the first former refugee to win a seat in the state legislature.
Democrat Safiya Wazir, 27, a mother of two who escaped Afghanistan as a child, defeated Republican Dennis Soucy for the seat. She lived in a refugee camp in Uzbekistan for 10 years, was resettled in Concord in 2007, and learned English as she made her way through high school, studying the dictionary at night.
She became a U.S. citizen in 2013, and earned a business degree from Concord’s community college. She and her husband have two daughters and another baby due in January. Wazir serves on the board of a social services agency and volunteers with Head Start.
“All I was thinking was about my education and going forward with my life to make my life better,” she told Rolling Stone. “When she said that, I was blown away,” Wazir said. “I was like, can I really do that?”
Wazir said she never considered running for office until earlier this year, when a friend who works for the New Hampshire Children’s Trust suggested she consider challenging Patten. The Children’s Trust had given Wazir an “Unsung Hero Award” in February, in recognition of her involvement with Head Start, where she has served on the policy council, parent committee, and State Parent Advisory Committee. But Wazir said she didn’t immediately see herself as a candidate.
Wazir launched her candidacy in June, after a crucial endorsement from her mother, who promised to watch her children while she campaigned, and told her: “You’ve got this. Go for it.”
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