From Army Surgeon to Congress: How One Doctor's Service in Iraq and Gaza Changed His Life

Adam Hamawy, a retired Army surgeon, just won the Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey. The 56-year-old plastic surgeon defeated 12 other candidates in June 2024 to represent the state's 12th Congressional District. If he wins the general election in November against Republican Greg Mele, he will become New Jersey's first Muslim member of Congress.

Hamawy's path is remarkable for one reason: his entire career has been shaped by helping people in war zones—from Iraq to Gaza.

A Life Spent Saving Lives in Conflict Zones

Hamawy spent eight years in the U.S. Army as a combat surgeon. In 2004, he was deployed to Baghdad during the Iraq War, where he performed surgery on hundreds of soldiers and civilians. During that deployment, a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down. One of the passengers was a Major named Tammy Duckworth. Hamawy operated on her and saved her life—though Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of one arm in the attack.

Duckworth went on to become a U.S. Senator from Illinois.

Two decades later, in 2024, Hamawy volunteered as a surgeon in Gaza during Israel's war. While he was there, Israeli forces closed the border and he became trapped. Duckworth helped get him out by delivering a letter to the White House. The bond between the two had endured across the years and continents.

A First-Time Candidate With Big Endorsements

Hamawy had never run for office before, but his campaign attracted major support. Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Ilhan Omar, and Senator Duckworth all endorsed him. These are prominent voices in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

His background helped explain the endorsements. He is the son of Egyptian immigrants. He grew up in Old Bridge, New Jersey. After 9/11, he served as a first responder. And he had just returned from treating civilians caught in the middle of the Israel-Gaza war.

All of this made him stand out in a primary with 13 Democratic candidates.

Why This District Matters

New Jersey's 12th Congressional District is solidly Democratic. The seat opened up when the longtime representative, Bonnie Watson Coleman, decided to retire. Hamawy is expected to easily beat his Republican opponent in November, given how many Democrats live in the district.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Military service has long given politicians credibility in America. Think of Senator John McCain, whose naval service shaped how people saw him on foreign policy. Or Senator Duckworth herself, who has used her experience as a wounded veteran to advocate for military benefits and healthcare.

Hamawy's story fits this pattern, but with a twist. His recent work in Gaza during the Israel-Palestine conflict makes his background politically significant in a way that goes beyond standard military credentials. The fact that Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar—both critics of Israeli policy—supported him suggests his Gaza experience mattered to the progressive side of the Democratic Party.

What exactly Hamawy believes about U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine, and how he will vote on these issues in Congress, he has not yet fully spelled out. That will likely become important as the debate continues.

What His Victory Means

If Hamawy wins in November, he will be the first Muslim member of Congress from New Jersey. He will also be the first member of Congress to have recently volunteered as a surgeon in Gaza during the current war. This matters symbolically: Muslim-Americans are now participating in politics at higher levels than in the past, even as Muslim communities continue to face scrutiny.

His medical background and immigrant heritage position him to speak authoritatively on healthcare, veterans' issues, and immigration if he chooses to. His time in Gaza gave him firsthand knowledge of what war does to civilians. Whether this will shape his foreign policy positions in Congress remains to be seen.

His journey—from an operating room in Baghdad to volunteering in Gaza to running for Congress—reflects a larger shift in American politics: candidates are bringing real-world expertise from unexpected places, and voters are responding to it.