New Jersey Democrat Who Testified for the Blind Sheikh Wins Congressional Primary. AOC and Bernie Endorsed Him.
- 6 killed in the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing — the attack plotted by followers of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, for whom Hamawy testified in 1995 — FBI; U.S. v. Rahman (2d Cir. 1999)
- ~1,000 people injured in the 1993 WTC bombing — the deadliest foreign terror attack on U.S. soil before September 11 — DOJ; NYPD after-action report
- ~27.4% of the vote won by Dr. Adam Hamawy in the NJ-12 Democratic primary — enough to advance as the party's nominee — New Jersey Secretary of State, June 3, 2026
- 1995 year Hamawy appeared as a defense witness at the federal trial of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman in the Southern District of New York — United States v. Rahman, SDNY; 2d Cir. 189 F.3d 88 (1999)
On June 3, 2026, New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District Democratic primary produced a winner: Dr. Adam Hisham Hamawy, a surgeon who collected approximately 27.4 percent of the vote in a multi-candidate field. He was endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). He will now be the Democratic nominee in a strongly Democratic district, making him the likely next member of Congress from NJ-12.
In 1995, Hamawy appeared in federal district court in New York as a defense witness in United States v. Rahman et al.— the landmark terrorism prosecution of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric known as the “Blind Sheikh,” and eleven co-defendants. Sheikh Abdel Rahman was convicted of seditious conspiracy to wage a war of urban terrorism against the United States. His followers had carried out the February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, which killed six people and injured approximately 1,000.
AOC, Sanders, and Omar did not disclose Hamawy’s 1995 testimony when endorsing him. Their endorsement statements focused on his background as a military veteran and physician.
NJ-12 covers Trenton, Princeton, and surrounding communities in Mercer and Middlesex counties. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D), who has held the seat since 2015, announced she would not seek re-election in 2026, making it an open seat and triggering a competitive Democratic primary among several candidates.
Hamawy, a surgeon and U.S. Army veteran, ran on a progressive platform emphasizing Medicare for All, housing affordability, and what his campaign described as “ending endless war.” He collected endorsements from the Squad’s three most nationally prominent members — AOC, Omar, and Sanders — giving him outsized fundraising and media reach for a New Jersey primary.
He won with approximately 27.4 percent of the vote in a five-candidate race. In a November general election, NJ-12’s D+28 partisan lean makes him the strong favorite to be seated in January 2027.
Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman — the “Blind Sheikh” — was the Egyptian-born spiritual leader of Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, the Egyptian Islamist organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department. He entered the United States in 1990 on a tourist visa and remained through a series of administrative oversights by the State Department and CIA, despite having been on a State Department watch list.
On February 26, 1993, followers inspired and directed by Abdel Rahman detonated a truck bomb in the North Tower parking garage of the World Trade Center. The blast killed six people — Monica Smith, Bob Kirkpatrick, Stephen Knapp, Bill Macko, Wilfredo Mercado, and John DiGiovanni — and injured approximately 1,000 others. The attack was the deadliest foreign terrorist strike on American soil before September 11, 2001.
In the subsequent federal prosecution, Abdel Rahman was convicted in October 1995 — not directly for the 1993 bombing itself, but for seditious conspiracy: plotting a broader war of urban terrorism that included planned attacks on the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, the United Nations headquarters, the Federal Building in Lower Manhattan, and the assassination of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and died in federal prison in 2017.
The trial of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and eleven co-defendants — formally United States v. Omar Abdel Rahman et al., tried before Judge Michael B. Mukasey in the Southern District of New York — ran from January 30 to October 1, 1995. It was one of the most consequential terrorism prosecutions in American history.
Court records confirm that Hamawy appeared as a defense witness during the trial. The defense team for Abdel Rahman called witnesses to contest the government’s characterization of the Sheikh’s role and influence, and to speak to his standing within Muslim communities in the United States. The 2d Circuit’s 1999 opinion affirming all convictions — United States v. Rahman, 189 F.3d 88 — provides a comprehensive record of the trial proceedings and the testimony received.
Hamawy has not publicly discussed his 1995 testimony during the 2026 campaign. His campaign did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital and the New York Post regarding the nature and substance of his defense appearance.
“The defendants' conduct constituted an act of war against the United States.”
Judge Michael B. Mukasey, sentencing statement, January 17, 1996 — United States v. Omar Abdel Rahman et al., SDNY
AOC, Sanders, and Omar represent the progressive left’s most active endorsement infrastructure. Their combined email lists, social media reach, and small-donor fundraising capacity can provide several hundred thousand dollars and significant media amplification to a primary candidate — enough to be determinative in a multi-candidate New Jersey district primary.
None of their endorsement announcements mentioned Hamawy’s 1995 court appearance. The AOC endorsement statement cited his service as a U.S. Army combat surgeon and his support for Medicare for All. The Sanders statement emphasized his background as a working physician who had “seen firsthand how our broken healthcare system fails ordinary people.” Omar’s statement called him “a voice for justice and peace.”
NJ Dem primary winner Dr. Adam Hamawy appeared as a defense witness in the 1995 federal trial of the 'Blind Sheikh' — the spiritual leader whose followers bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, killing 6. He was endorsed by AOC, Bernie, and Ilhan Omar.
The NJ Dem who just won the NJ-12 primary to replace Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman testified as a defense character witness for the 'Blind Sheikh' — the spiritual leader convicted of plotting war against the United States. AOC, Bernie Sanders, and Ilhan Omar endorsed him.
NJ-12 — the Princeton, Trenton, and Hightstown corridor — is among New Jersey’s most reliably Democratic congressional districts. Its Cook Partisan Voting Index is D+28. No Republican has been competitive in the district since its current configuration was established by the 2022 redistricting. Hamawy winning the primary is, in most realistic scenarios, winning the seat.
The Republican nominee, whose identity will be determined in a separate primary, will begin the general election with a structural deficit that no amount of outside spending typically overcomes in a district this blue. Hamawy will take his seat in January 2027 absent a historic reversal.
Dr. Adam Hisham Hamawy — surgeon; U.S. Army veteran; NJ-12 Democratic primary winner, June 3, 2026 (~27.4%). Endorsed by AOC (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
His 1995 court appearance: Appeared as a defense witness in United States v. Omar Abdel Rahman et al., SDNY (Judge Mukasey). All twelve defendants were convicted. The 2d Circuit affirmed in United States v. Rahman, 189 F.3d 88 (1999).
Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman — the “Blind Sheikh.” Convicted 1995 of seditious conspiracy. His followers carried out the 1993 WTC bombing (6 killed, ~1,000 injured). Died in federal prison, February 18, 2017.
A man who testified FOR the Blind Sheikh — the TERRORIST whose followers bombed the World Trade Center — just won a Democrat primary in New Jersey. AOC and Bernie ENDORSED him. This is what the Democrat Party has become. Very SAD!
Paraphrased commentary · not a verbatim post
- United States v. Rahman, 189 F.3d 88 (2d Cir. 1999) — full appellate record of the 1995 trial
- DOJ: Terror prosecutions fact sheet — United States v. Omar Abdel Rahman
- FBI: 1993 World Trade Center bombing — official account
- New Jersey Secretary of State: NJ-12 Democratic primary results, June 3, 2026
- Fox News Digital: Hamawy primary win and testimony background
- AOC / Sanders / Omar endorsement statements (archived)