Kenyan-American Huldah Momanyi Clinches Victory In US Elections
Hiltsley, who was vying as a Democrat, became the first state legislator of Kenyan heritage after defeating her rival, Republican candidate Brad Olson, in the race for Minnesota House District 38A.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Kenyan-American Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley has made history in the United States after clinching victory in the 2024 elections in the race for the House of Representatives seat in Minnesota.
Hiltsley, who was vying as a Democrat, became the first state legislator of Kenyan heritage after defeating her rival, Republican candidate Brad Olson, in the race for Minnesota House District 38A.
She secured 65% of the vote, with Olson only accruing 35% in a race expected to be closely contested but decided on Wednesday, November 6.
“It doesn’t feel real,” she told CCX News. “I don’t think I was expecting to do that well. 65 [per cent], that’s a big margin, right? That just goes to show you the work that my team has put into this race.”
The seat was previously held by DFLer Mike Nelson of Brooklyn Park, who recently retired from political office. With her election victory, Hiltsley is the first Kenyan American to hold a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives and will represent Southwestern Brooklyn Park and Osseo.
Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley was elected to the Minnesota, State Senate District 38 seat in the November 5, polls. /CCX MEDIA
“That is history in the making,” she was quoted by CCX News. “Not only the first Kenyan American in the Minnesota Legislature but the first Kenyan-born in the whole entire U.S. to be elected into office.”
Huldah was born in Nyamira County in 1985 to Philip and Tabitha Momanyi. They moved to the US nine years later where they settled in Minnesota.
She attained three Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degrees in International Business, Reconciliation Studies and International Relations from Bethel University, Minnesota between 2007 and 2011.
Momanyi also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Global Management from the same University. Her career began in 2010 when she was appointed as the Executive Director for Intercultural Programs at Bethel University.
Huldah Hiltsley career
She then worked as the International Programs Coordinator at Hope for the City, a Non-governmental Organization (NGO) located in St Louis, Minnesota in 2011 before returning to Bethel in May 2013 to assume the role of Multicultural Admissions Counselor and Community Relations Associate.
Huldah later joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as an applicant Services Program Specialist.
The new Minnesota House representative has also held different roles at Dexcom and Nuvasive before joining
Previously, she served as the president of Mwanyagetinge, an organization supporting Kenyans in Minnesota, and has received accolades such as the Morrill Hall and Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Award for her commitment to social justice.
Huldah is also the founder of SaniNaps, an NGO aimed at providing sanitary napkins and school supplies to girls in rural Kenya, addressing critical needs for education and health among young women.
The Minnesota House representative-elect’s political ambition is driven by a desire to represent minority communities and address systemic issues that affect them.
She emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion within political representation, having recognized a lack of elected leaders from minority backgrounds during her advocacy efforts. Her campaign focused on key issues such as safety, equitable housing, and accessible healthcare for families.
In addition, her rise to her current electoral seat kickstarted earlier this year when she won an August primary, narrowly defeating former Brooklyn Park City Council Member Wynfred Russell by a 50-vote margin.
During her interview with Voice of America before the election, Hiltsley said that she was sonly 9 when her family relocated to the US, adding that she still keeps in touch with Kenyan politics though her issue is the style of Kenyan politics, where money talks and influences the outcome.
"I do pay attention to how Kenyan politics are run. The biggest difference between running in the US and Kenya is how the candidates approach the voters. Kenya, we know how it is, it's a matter of unfortunately buying votes, and that's something that Kenya has to work on and address,” she said during the interview.
She explained that her father moved to the US as a student in the early 80s, which was no walk in the park as he was almost deported. “For 11 years, he fought within our challenging immigration system, eventually facing imminent deportation. With only 48 hours remaining, a coalition of churches petitioned Senator Paul Wellstone who stepped in and lobbied on my family’s behalf. At the last moment, the court overturned the deportation order,” she wrote.
In Kenya, Minnesota is a common state among citizens, mostly among the Kisii community, who are known for preferring to move to the state whenever they get the opportunity.
