Sugar Land physician among first 2 Muslim Americans elected to the Texas State Legislature

SUGAR LAND, Texas (KTRK) -- This year's Midterm Elections generated a number of historic firsts in American politics. For the first time in the Texas State Legislature's history, voters elected not one but two Muslim lawmakers to serve on Capitol Hill.

One of them is Dr. Suleman Lalani, a practicing geriatric care physician in the Fort Bend County area for more than 17 years.

Lalani came to the U.S. in the early 90s after graduating from medical school in his native country of Pakistan. He completed his internal medicine residency in New York and fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine. He eventually settled down in Sugar Land after getting married and having three sons.

He opened a traditional practice that was located behind the Sugar Land Town Center and Houston Methodist Hospital Sugar Land Hospital for nearly two decades. While serving with different community and nonprofit organizations, Lalani said that's where his interest in politics began. His campaign slogan was the "right prescription for Texas."

"I was the ambassador to the U.S. Congress for the Alzheimer's Association. That's where I got the flavor of legislation and passing the bills. America is a land of opportunities. But I was very soon awakened that we are very poor when it comes to healthcare access. The most hurtful part as a physician was when I knew there's a treatment or cure, but my patient could not afford it," he said.

"I thought that if I could get into legislation and pass a couple of good laws, we could change this generation. A good, healthy society is a productive one," he added.

Two years ago, he decided to close his practice and switch to long-term care, where he makes rounds at multiple nursing homes. He said the switch allowed him a more flexible schedule that accommodated the time commitment required to run for office. He won the seat for House District 76 on his second try.

The issues Lalani said he is focused on are healthcare, education and COVID-19 recovery, equitable economic recovery, protecting the grid, and environmental sustainability.

Lalani's victory, along with Salman Bhojani to House District 92 in Tarrant County, is significant for a state legislature that has not always embraced its Muslim community. According to the Texas Tribune, former Sen. Dan Patrick boycotted the senate's first-ever prayer by a Muslim cleric in 2007. Patrick now presides over the Senate as lieutenant governor after winning reelection nearly two weeks ago.

The Texas Tribune also reported that in recent years, the annual Texas Muslim Capitol Day, in which Muslims from across the state visit the Capitol to learn about state government, has been met with protest. In 2017, more than a thousand supporters formed a human shield around Muslim visitors to protect them from demonstrators.

The paper wrote that in 2015, then-state Rep. Molly White left instructions for her staff to ask Muslim visitors to come to her office on Texas Muslim Capitol Day to declare allegiance to the United States.

Lalani told ABC13 he hopes his presence on Capitol Hill will make the Muslim community in Texas feel more welcome, included, and represented.

"It's better late than never. One thing I believe is ignorance leads to fear, which leads to anger and then hate. We are here to learn about each other. We have so many things in common. We need to focus on what our strengths are, and that's where we build up upon each other," he said. "As a physician, when someone comes up to me to take care of their ailment, I don't ask them what their race or religion is. I want to bring that same mindset into the legislature."

For stories on Houston's diverse communities, follow Rosie Nguyen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.