Meet the woman who wants to be the first Somali-American on Lewiston’s City Council

Safiya Khalid had already worked a full eight hours at her day job before she started knocking on doors in Lewiston’s Michaud Meadows subdivision. The late summer light was fading fast, and the overcast sky threatened rain.

Khalid was tired and had no umbrella — but she didn’t stop. She wants to be the first person from the city’s Somali community elected to public office. To that end, Khalid was out to meet every unenrolled and Democratic voter in the city’s first ward before Election Day. That’s roughly 800 people. She found 300 as of Aug. 28, with 500 more to go.

“Hi. I’m Safiya,” Khalid said to the older, white man answering the door. “I’m running for City Council, and I just wanted to introduce myself.”

The man, Norman Houle, was surprised to see her. Khalid is just over 5 feet tall. She’s young — 23-years-old — Somali-American and wears a traditional headscarf. Her wispy accent hints that she probably wasn’t born in Maine.

At first, Houle just looked at her. The sound of the nightly television news wafted out of the house behind him. Khalid handed him a flier reading, “Safiya for council.”

She said again, “I’m running for City Council.” Her face was bright and open.

Khalid’s political life began in 2017 when she ran for school committee. She was 20 years old and a senior psychology student at the University of Southern Maine.

Another Somali immigrant, Zam Zam Mohamud, has twice been appointed to the Lewiston School Committee, filling vacant seats. Mohamud was not currently serving on the committee in 2017 when Khalid ran.