Kareem Kandil, a Jetpac Fellow and engineer setting his sights on Pennsylvania’s 30th House District, is known for his activism in minority communities in the broader Pittsburgh region. Our most recent graduate of the Public Service Fellowship program, Kareem volunteered for Bernie Sanders’ primary campaign and later campaigned for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential race.

Describing the current political climate of American Muslims as “tenuous,” Kareem is motivated to serve his community so that he “may positively shape Pennsylvania’s state policies to benefit the people within [his] home community.”

Pennsylvania’s 30th House District, which Kareem calls home, is currently represented by six-year incumbent Hal English (R). Located in Southwestern Pennsylvania and encompassing parts of suburban Pittsburgh, his district is one of the few in PA that voted for Clinton in 2016. Kareem says he is hoping to “maintain a public image as a Muslim who can work to combat harmful stereotypes and trends in our current political environment.”