Safiya Khalid facts for kids

Safiya Said Khalid was born in 1996. She is a politician from Somalia and the United States. She used to be a member of the City Council in Lewiston, Maine.

Early Life and School

Safiya Khalid was born in Somalia. When she was seven years old, she and her family moved from their home country. They first lived in New Jersey. Later, they moved to Lewiston, Maine.

When Safiya was fourteen, she became a citizen of the United States. She went to schools in Lewiston. She graduated from Lewiston High School. After high school, Safiya went to the University of Southern Maine. There, she studied psychology. Psychology is the study of how people think and feel.

Safiya is now studying public policy. This means she is learning how governments make decisions and how to help communities. She is doing this at Northeastern University.

Her Work

Before becoming a politician, Safiya had several jobs. In high school and college, she worked at L.L.Bean. She helped make boots there.

After college, she worked for the Maine Democratic Party. She was a field organizer in Lewiston. A field organizer helps people learn about a political party. They also encourage people to vote.

Later, she worked for the Maine Legislature. This is where Maine's laws are made. She was a clerk for a committee that worked on housing and labor issues.

Today, Safiya works as a case manager. She helps people at a group called Gateway Community Services. This group is a nonprofit, which means it helps people without trying to make money.

Getting Involved in Politics

Safiya Khalid became interested in helping her community through politics. In 2017, she ran for a spot on the Lewiston School Committee. This committee helps make decisions about local schools. She did not win that election.

Soon after, she was chosen as the vice chair of the Lewiston Democratic Party. This means she helped lead the local group of the Democratic Party.

In 2018, Safiya won a seat on the Maine Democratic Party State Committee. This committee helps guide the party across the state. She was also elected to the party's Executive Committee. This is a smaller group that makes important decisions.

In 2019, Safiya ran for the Lewiston City Council. The City Council helps run the city. On November 5, 2019, she won the election. She received almost 70 percent of the votes.

Safiya started her job on the City Council on January 6, 2020. While on the council, she worked on different committees. These included the Lewiston Finance Committee and the Lewiston Housing Committee.

Safiya also supported Bernie Sanders when he ran for president in 2020. She helped lead his campaign in Maine. After he stopped running, she supported Joe Biden.

In 2021, Safiya wanted to become the chair of the Lewiston Democratic Party. However, she faced some difficult and unfair comments at a party meeting. Because of this, she decided to withdraw from the race.