Now Allam is 28 and a front-runner to become the Democratic nominee to replace longtime Rep. David Price — a white man— in the state's ultra-liberal congressional district around Durham.
“We're at the stage where for Democrats in North Carolina, at what level of urgency are we going to act with?” Allam, a progressive and daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants, tells Axios. One of those, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, is retiring, leaving Rep. Alma Adams as the only incumbent of color among the 14 congressional races this year.
"I'm concerned about African American representation, but I'm also concerned about Democratic representation," Butterfield told Axios in January. "And if we get fair Democratic representation, then African American representation will naturally follow. Right?"It's a safe bet that after the 2022 election, the state will have at least three elected officials of color in Washington, but a fourth will be a stretch.