Niqab-Wearing Muslim Woman Who Voted for Democrats in 2024 Becomes North Carolina’s GOP State Senate Nominee After Running Unopposed
How could North Carolina Republicans allow this to happen?
Lakeshia Alston, a Muslim woman who went viral last year for wearing a niqab in her campaign photo, is officially the GOP nominee for North Carolina’s District 22 State Senate seat.
Alston, who was listed as a candidate by the Durham County Board of Elections just two days before the filing deadline, won the nomination after running unopposed.
Under North Carolina’s election rules, the Republican GOP Primary for the District 22 State Senate was cancelled because Alston ran unopposed, making her the automatic winner.
Ballotpedia confirmed she will be on the ballot as the GOP nominee in the general election held on November 3, 2026.
The New York Post further reported, public voting records reveal she voted for Democrats in 2024.
#BREAKING: Lakeshia Alston, the woman running for election as a REPUBLICAN in North Carolina’s Senate District 22 in a full hijab…
…and was revealed to actually be a LIFE-LONG DEMOCRAT
RAN COMPLETELY UNOPPOSED AND IS NOW THE GOP CANDIDATE!!!!
WHAT?!!!! pic.twitter.com/UbsprqxrBt
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) March 4, 2026
The Daily Caller did an exclusive interview with Alston nearly two months before she was declared the winner and noted she repeatedly stated that her conservative principles are “Down for ISIS.”
Per The Daily Caller:
LaKeshia Mashonda Ruddi Alston has drawn national attention after her campaign photo — showing her wearing a niqab covering her entire face except for her eyes — circulated widely on social media, later prompting scrutiny of her long record of voting for Democratic candidates. In an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation, Alston, who is running in the heavily Democratic Durham-based 22nd Senate district, defended her purported political evolution and policy views amid skepticism from voters.
When asked what conservative principles she considers important, Alston replied: “I am down for ISIS.”
Alston five times throughout the interview said something to the effect of “I am down for ISIS … I stand for ISIS,” when appearing to refer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I am down for ISIS. The police tell you that you gotta freeze. You have to stop. I can’t go on to another country without a passport,” Alston said. “I did experience students who did have some interaction with ISIS. And was it sad? Yes, it was very sad. I cried. I empathize with them, which is why I am for ISIS.”
WATCH:
LaKeshia Mashonda Ruddi Alston, North Carolina state Senate candidate: “I am a Republican… I am matured in my own revelation of what the Republican Party represents and it looks like me.”
Exclusive interview with @cadenolson_. pic.twitter.com/vZHM7a9bt3
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 1, 2026
Alston will now face Democrat North Carolina State Senator Sophia Chitlik in the general election.
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