Two Ghanaian-Americans Secure Seats in US Congress as Boafo Wins Maryland, Amo Re-Elected in Rhode Island

Two politicians of Ghanaian descent have won seats in the United States Congress following this week's midterm elections, marking a significant moment of diaspora representation in American legislative politics.

Adrian Boafo, 32, has won Maryland's 5th Congressional District, succeeding veteran Congressman Steny Hoyer, who retired after more than four decades in office. In Rhode Island, Gabe Amo, 38, has secured a third term representing the state's 1st Congressional District, defeating Republican Kellie Keenan and independent candidate Pedro DeSouza .

Boafo's Rise from Bowie to Capitol Hill

Boafo, a second-generation Ghanaian-American, won with more than 68 per cent of the vote. Born in Arlington, Virginia, to parents who emigrated from Ghana in the 1980s, he was raised in Prince George's County, Maryland .

His political career began at the local level, serving on the Bowie City Council from 2019 to 2022, including a stint as Mayor Pro Tem. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2023, representing District 23 in Prince George's County, where he served on the Economic Matters Committee and as Assistant Majority Leader .

Boafo's connection to the seat he now occupies runs deep. He previously served as Hoyer's campaign manager and later as a field director before mounting his own bid. Hoyer endorsed Boafo in the crowded Democratic primary, alongside Senator Angela Alsobrooks and Governor Wes Moore .

His campaign focused on the cost of living, childcare, protecting federal workers, and banning congressional stock trading—issues of particular resonance in a district adjoining Washington, DC, with thousands of government employees .

Boafo attended DeMatha Catholic High School before earning a BA in government and public policy from the University of Baltimore, where he became the first Black president of the Student Government Association. He later pursued an MBA at American University's Kogod School of Business while working on Capitol Hill .

His victory was not without controversy. Fellow Democrats criticised him for accepting millions in donations from the pro-crypto super PAC Protect Progress and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's United Democracy Project. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen accused these groups of attempting to "buy this congressional seat" .

Amo's Historic Tenure Continues

In Rhode Island, Gabe Amo—born Gabriel Felix Kofi Amo to a Ghanaian father and a Liberian mother—secured re-election with approximately 68 per cent of the vote, according to the Rhode Island Board of Elections. His Republican challenger trailed with 28 per cent, while the independent candidate attracted just 4 per cent .

Amo made history in 2023 when he became the first Black person elected to Congress from Rhode Island. He won a special election to fill the seat vacated by David Cicilline, then secured a full term in 2024. His victory this week extends a tenure that has seen him emerge as a notable voice on foreign affairs and veterans' issues .

Born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Amo attended Moses Brown School, where he served as President of the Student Senate. He graduated from Wheaton College with a Truman Scholarship for public service, then earned a Marshall Scholarship to study public policy at the University of Oxford .

His career in public service spans both Obama and Biden administrations. Under Obama, he worked in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as a liaison to governors and state elected officials. He later served as Director of Public Engagement and Community Affairs under Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo. Before his election to Congress, he was Deputy Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Assistant to President Biden, serving as the president's principal liaison to mayors and local elected officials .

Amo entered the race with a substantial financial advantage, reporting nearly $2 million in cash on hand as of mid-October, compared to his opponents' combined total of less than $20,000 raised by Keenan .

A Diaspora Moment

The simultaneous victories of Boafo and Amo reflect the growing presence of African diaspora communities in American political life. Seven candidates of African origin contested congressional seats in the 2026 midterms, with the two Ghanaian-Americans emerging successful .

For Ghana, the outcomes carry symbolic weight. Both men carry their heritage into the halls of Congress—Boafo as the son of Ghanaian immigrants who built a career from local council to the national legislature, and Amo as a trailblazer whose Ghanaian father and Liberian mother raised him in a working-class Rhode Island household.

Their presence in the 119th Congress places two voices of Ghanaian descent in a chamber that shapes American policy on trade, immigration, and foreign affairs—matters of direct consequence to the West African nation.