Sarah Jama arrives to her campaign celebration Thursday, after she was projected to win the provincial riding of Hamilton Centre in a byelection. Bobby Hristova/CBC

17
Mar

2023

Somali Canadian Disability Rights Advocate Elected as Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre

Written by Ontario NDP

Published in News

HAMILTON – Sarah Jama has won the by-election in Hamilton Centre and will be heading to Queen’s Park as the newest member of Marit Stiles’ Ontario NDP team.

“I am incredibly proud of Sarah Jama, and so excited to welcome her to Queen’s Park as your Hamilton Centre MPP,” said Stiles, who is the Leader of the Official Opposition. “Hamilton Centre has a long history of hard-working, progressive representation, and Sarah has been a dedicated, tenacious part of that work for a long time. She’s a leader who understands the power of solidarity to win more for people and build stronger, more caring communities. Together, we will make a difference in peoples’ lives.”

“This is an exciting night for Hamilton”, said Jama. “I am honoured by the support I have received from this community and honoured to become your Member of Provincial Parliament. Throughout this campaign, I have been so inspired and energized by the incredible supporters and volunteers who have dedicated countless hours to knock on doors, make calls, and talk about big ideas to strengthen our community. I am so excited to carry that energy and activism to Queen’s Park.”

Sarah Jama’s seat was recently held by Andrea Horwath, former leader of the Ontario NDP. As Hamilton Centre MPP, Sarah will be building her work on a strong foundation of progressive leaders, from Andrea Horwath to David Christopherson to Mike and Norman Davison.

“There isn’t a moment to waste at Queen’s Park,” said Jama. “The Ontario NDP are in an important fight for improved access to public health care, stronger protections for renters, and the need for more affordable, accessible communities. I’m ready to get to work. Let’s do this.”

About Sarah Jama

Somali Canadian Sarah Jama is a graduate from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario with a degree in social science. Born in 1994, Jama lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility.

According to the biography on her website: "Experiencing a clear gap in Ontario Disability Justice Organizing, Sarah co-founded DJNO(the Disability Justice Network of Ontario) to build capacity in disabled organizers to work to draw connections with other justice movements for systemic change. She works to the root causes of poverty and housing insecurity and seeks systemic solutions to problems.

She received a YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Community Leadership Category in 2022.