Noor was born in 1978 in Somalia. Following the start of the civil war, he and his family sought asylum in Kenya. In 1999 they emigrated to the United States, settling in Minnesota.[1][3]
Noor was the former director of the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based NGO serving immigrants.[5][6] In that role, he advocated for funding for Somali youth programs, job skills programs, childcare programs, and mental health services.[7][8] He criticized Republicans and Donald Trump for rising anti-Islamic sentiment in 2016, and praised President Barack Obama for visiting a mosque and speaking out in support of Muslim Americans.[9][10]
In 2017, Noor challenged incumbent Abdi Warsame for City Council in Minneapolis Ward 6.[16] He said he was "extremely disappointed" with Warsame's work on the council and that he would focus on jobs, housing, and police reform, and engage with constituents more than Warsame.[16] At the DFL Ward 6 caucus, Warsame won the most delegates, and Noor joined another challenger, Flynn Forslund, in asking that the caucus results be thrown out.[17] Noor pulled out of the endorsement convention, citing "a potential safety risk for participants".[18]
Noor lost to Wasame in November, and accused Warsame's campaign of violating election day and campaign laws.[21] He said he would "fight to make sure every vote is counted, and the numerous irregularities that were reported are fully investigated".[21] Noor requested a "discretionary" recount paid for by his own funds.[20] After a recount left the result unchanged, an attorney for Noor withdrew the challenge, but Noor filed a personal lawsuit asking a judge to invalidate the election.[22][23] He claimed to have evidence that "at least 100 people appear to have voted in our election who do not live in Ward 6".[23] A Hennepin County judge dismissed the lawsuit in December 2017.[23]
Minnesota House of Representatives
Noor was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since.[1] He first ran in 2014, unsuccessfully challenging 21-term incumbent Phyllis Kahn in the DFL primary.[24] In 2016, Noor again challenged Kahn, as did Ilhan Omar.[15] The DFL convention ended with no endorsement, but Omar defeated both Khan and Noor in the DFL primary and won the general election.[25][15] In 2018 Noor ran for the seat again, after Omar announced she would not seek reelection in order to run for Minnesota's 5th congressional district.[26][11] Noor won both the DFL primary and the general election.[27] He has been reelected in every election since.
Noor has served as chair of the Human Services Finance Committee since 2023 and also sits on the Higher Education Finance and Policy, Human Services Policy, and Ways and Means Committees. He chaired the Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy Committee from 2021 to 2022, and was vice chair of the Jobs and Economic Development Finance Committee from 2019 to 2020.[1]
Political positions
Noor has called for the legislature to address racial disparities in health care, education, unemployment, and housing.[28] He supported efforts to pass the Driver's Licenses for All bill, which allows unauthorized immigrants in the state to obtain a driver's license, calling it a "moral obligation".[29]
Noor criticized President Donald Trump for his anti-Somali rhetoric and posts on social media ahead of a 2018 visit.[30] He has defended his predecessor, Ilhan Omar, over attacks from Trump and conservatives, comparing them to claims that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.[31]
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