Doctor Who Served in Gaza Wins New Jersey Primary

When Adam Hamawy pulled Senator Tammy Duckworth from a burning helicopter in Iraq in 2004, he didn't know she'd one day help launch his political career. Now the Army combat surgeon has won his Democratic primary in New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, putting him on track for Congress this November.

The Egyptian-born plastic surgeon isn't your typical politician. He's spent decades volunteering in conflict zones from Bosnia to Haiti, performing life-saving surgeries where others won't go.

His 2024 medical mission to Gaza changed everything. Hamawy treated children who'd lost limbs and entire families, operated under constant bombardment, and slept in shifts between drone strikes overhead.

When he returned to Washington to share what he witnessed, the response shocked him. Some lawmakers listened and spoke out. Others expressed private concern but stayed silent publicly. Some refused to meet with him at all.

That's when Hamawy decided to stop asking for change and start making it himself. "We need more [elected officials] that are brave, more that will actually act upon what we know is wrong," he told Al Jazeera in April.

His decision fills a critical gap in Congress. No sitting member has visited Gaza in over a decade, despite Congress approving billions in military aid to Israel annually. In 2018, three representatives wrote that they'd been denied access two years earlier and still couldn't get in.

Hamawy brings something Washington desperately needs: firsthand knowledge. While congressional delegations regularly visit Israel and occasionally the West Bank, Gaza remains largely off-limits to outside observers.

The Ripple Effect

Back in New Jersey, Hamawy's campaign resonated beyond foreign policy. Voters connected his medical mission work with his vision for healthcare access at home, seeing someone who prioritizes service over politics.

Senator Duckworth, who credits Hamawy with saving her life, endorsed him enthusiastically. So did progressive leader Bernie Sanders. Their support helped Hamawy stand out in a crowded primary field.

Hamawy also secured backing from progressive groups who poured millions into ad buys supporting his candidacy. His military service, humanitarian credentials, and willingness to speak uncomfortable truths gave voters a rare combination: experience, expertise, and courage.

If elected in November, Hamawy would join Congress with unique moral authority on Middle East policy. He's lived through what most lawmakers only read about in briefings.

But Hamawy sees his mission as bigger than one issue. "I felt I had to go to Washington to fix this myself," he said, describing both foreign policy failures and domestic struggles like healthcare costs.

His path from combat medic to humanitarian surgeon to congressional candidate shows how personal experience can fuel political change. Sometimes the people best equipped to fix broken systems are those who've witnessed the consequences firsthand.

Come November, New Jersey's 12th District voters will decide if Hamawy's journey continues to Capitol Hill.