His testimony ultimately strengthened the government's case against him
In a twelve-candidate Democratic primary in New Jersey's Mercer County, Adam Hamawy — a plastic surgeon, Army veteran, and Egyptian-born American — secured the nomination for a safe House seat, carrying with him both the endorsements of the progressive left and the long shadow of a 1996 terrorism trial in which he testified for the defense of the cleric behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. His victory invites a perennial question in democratic life: how a community weighs a man's full complexity — his service, his convictions, his associations — against the urgency of the political moment. The voters of this district, it seems, chose the platform over the past, though the conversation is far from settled.
- A candidate carrying documented ties to one of America's most consequential terrorism cases has just won a congressional primary, forcing a reckoning with what Democratic voters are willing to overlook — or reframe — in pursuit of ideological alignment.
- Critics, including a fellow New Jersey Democrat and the prosecutor who tried the Blind Sheikh, have raised pointed alarms about Hamawy's 1996 defense testimony and his brief work with an al Qaeda-linked front group, warnings that found little purchase in a fractured twelve-way field.
- Hamawy's campaign deflected scrutiny as guilt-by-association, leaning instead into his military record, his humanitarian mission to Gaza, and a constellation of progressive endorsements from Sanders, AOC, and beyond.
- The crowded primary worked in his favor — no single opponent consolidated the opposition, leaving Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp's 'radical extremist' charge to echo without enough votes behind it.
- He now moves into a general election in a safely Democratic district, meaning the controversy that failed to stop him in the primary is unlikely to cost him the seat — but will almost certainly follow him to Washington.
Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and former Army combat medic born in Egypt, won a twelve-candidate Democratic primary in New Jersey on Tuesday, claiming the nomination for a safe House seat stretching from Trenton through Somerville to the Plainfields. The win came despite sustained scrutiny over his past — most notably his appearance as a defense witness in the 1996 trial of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the "Blind Sheikh" convicted of inciting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six and wounded thousands, and of conspiring against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak while maintaining ties to al Qaeda.
Andrew McCarthy, the chief prosecutor in that case and now a Fox News contributor, noted that Hamawy's cross-examination ultimately helped the government rather than the defense, bolstering evidence of a broader jihadist conspiracy. Reporting also surfaced a brief 1994 volunteer stint with an al Qaeda-linked front group operating in Eastern Europe. Rep. Josh Gottheimer publicly voiced "deep concerns," and Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp called Hamawy a "radical extremist" — but in a twelve-way field, opposition never consolidated around a single alternative.
Hamawy has never been charged with any crime and dismissed the criticism as guilt-by-association. His campaign drew endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Twitch personality Hasan Piker, along with investment from a pro-Palestinian super PAC. A competing establishment lane — backed by former Gov. Jon Corzine and former Senators Torricelli and Bradley behind activist Sue Altman — failed to gain traction.
His biography carries genuine complexity. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has credited him with saving her life during a 2004 overseas deployment. In 2024, he undertook a humanitarian medical mission to Gaza that became stranded near Khan Younis when a border crossing closed; Duckworth later helped secure his evacuation. He returned describing atrocities he said he had never before witnessed.
The district has trended solidly Democratic, and Hamawy's path to Congress now appears clear. The primary result suggests that in this corner of New Jersey, voters chose his progressive platform and his record of service over the unresolved questions that trail him — questions that, in Washington, will be considerably harder to set aside.
Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and former Army combat medic born in Egypt, won a twelve-candidate Democratic primary in New Jersey on Tuesday, securing the nomination for a safe House seat in Mercer County that spans from Trenton through Somerville to the Plainfields. The victory came despite sustained scrutiny over his past associations with Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the cleric convicted of inciting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people and wounded thousands.
Hamawy, who describes himself as pro-Palestinian, had been considered the frontrunner to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman in a district that has trended solidly Democratic. He drew endorsements from prominent progressive figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. A nascent pro-Palestinian super PAC called American Priorities also invested money in his campaign. The crowded primary field meant no single alternative candidate consolidated opposition to him, though Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp directly labeled him a "radical extremist."
The central controversy stems from Hamawy's testimony as a defense witness in the 1996 trial of Abdel Rahman, known as the "Blind Sheikh." Abdel Rahman was convicted not only of inciting the WTC bombing but also of conspiring to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and of maintaining ties to al Qaeda operatives. Andrew McCarthy, who served as the chief prosecutor in that case and is now a Fox News contributor, stated that despite Hamawy's testimony being offered to help the defense, cross-examination ultimately strengthened the government's case by bolstering evidence of a jihadist terrorism conspiracy against the United States.
Hamawy has never been criminally charged and has denied any wrongdoing. His campaign characterized the scrutiny as "guilt-by-association" shaming. However, reporting also surfaced his brief 1994 volunteer work with an al Qaeda-linked front group that operated in Eastern Europe and has since closed. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a fellow New Jersey Democrat, told Jewish Insider he harbored "deep concerns" about Hamawy's "associations with terrorist organizations and leaders who have attacked America."
One notable dimension of Hamawy's background involves his military service. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., credited him with saving her life during an overseas deployment to the Middle East in 2004 when she was serving as a helicopter pilot. In 2024, Hamawy undertook a humanitarian medical mission to Gaza that he said became trapped near Khan Younis when a border crossing closed. He later credited Duckworth with helping secure his evacuation. During that trip, he stated he had "never witnessed the level of atrocities and targeting of my medical colleagues," an apparent reference to Israeli military operations.
The primary victory in a district that has moved away from the narrow margins President Trump achieved in 2024 signals that Democratic voters in this area prioritized Hamawy's progressive platform over concerns about his past. Activist Sue Altman, who lost to Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in an adjacent district in 2024, mounted a competing campaign backed by former Gov. Jon Corzine and former Senators Robert Torricelli and Bill Bradley, but failed to gain traction in the crowded field. Hamawy now advances to the general election in what is considered a safe Democratic seat.
Notable Quotes
His testimony, once cross-examination was over, did more to bolster the prosecution's proof of a jihadist terrorism conspiracy against the United States than to help the accused.— Andrew McCarthy, chief prosecutor in the 1996 trial, to Fox News Digital
I have deep concerns about his associations with terrorist organizations and leaders who have attacked America.— Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to Jewish Insider
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a primary victory in a safe Democratic district make national news?
Because the winner's past associations raise questions about vetting and judgment that transcend local politics. When someone testifies in a major terrorism trial, that becomes part of the public record.
But he was never charged with anything. Doesn't that matter?
It does. He was a young adult, he testified as a witness, and the prosecutor himself says the testimony actually helped the government. The question isn't guilt—it's whether voters knew what they were voting for.
What about the humanitarian work in Gaza? That seems to cut the other direction.
It does. A senator credited him with saving her life in combat. He went to Gaza as a doctor. Those are real things. The tension is that both can be true—he can have done genuine service and also have had associations that deserve scrutiny.
So why did he win?
The field was fractured twelve ways. He had endorsements from major progressive figures. And in a district that's become more liberal, his pro-Palestinian stance may have resonated with voters who saw the scrutiny as overblown.
What happens now?
He faces a general election in a safe Democratic seat, so he's likely headed to Congress. But the associations won't disappear. They'll follow him.