Cambridge, Massachusetts: In a historic first for the United States, two Pakistani-origin politicians have been elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Cambridge.
On January 5, 2026, Sanbal Siddiqui, originally from Karachi, was elected Mayor of Cambridge City for the third consecutive term (2024–2026), while Burhan Azim, from Burewala, Punjab, became the youngest Deputy Mayor in the city’s history.
Sanbal Siddiqui, a practicing lawyer from Karachi, has been active in American politics since her election to the Cambridge City Council in 2017. She previously served as Mayor from 2020 to 2024. Siddiqui is the first Muslim Mayor of Cambridge and the first Asian woman to hold the post for three consecutive terms in the history of Massachusetts.
Burhan Azim, son of Professor Munir Chaudhry and a graduate of MIT Boston in engineering, has also made history. He was previously elected as the youngest City Councilor in Cambridge and, following his re-election, now holds the distinction of being the city’s youngest Deputy Mayor.
This landmark election underscores the growing representation of Pakistani-origin professionals and youth in US politics and marks a new chapter in Massachusetts’ political history.
