Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley becomes the first immigrant to be elected to the state legislature position.
In the small hours of Wednesday, Kenyan-born Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley sat down, exhilarated, her campaign finally won.
“Call me ‘Mheshimiwa’ or not, I don’t care about titles,” she laughed, referring to the Swahili honorific for respected leaders. “What matters is that I get to serve the people.”
We are speaking to her at minutes to 3am CST and minutes after her historic win. She won Minnesota House of Representatives in the just concluded US elections.
“I still can’t believe it. Maybe when I wake up later in the day it will all make sense,” she beams.
She wears a wide and warm smile that perfectly covers her fatigue from long days and nights of a rough campaign trail that culminated in her win.
At 39, Huldah becomes the first Kenyan-born politician to win a state assembly seat anywhere in the United States — a historic achievement for a woman raised with deep Kenyan roots now thriving in Minnesota politics.
Her journey dates back decades ago when her father, Phillip Momanyi, moved to the United States as a student in 1988. Her mother, Tabitha Momanyi, joined him in 1992, and in 1995 by nine-year-old Huldah and her two siblings joined them. The youngest of her siblings who Huldah fondly refers to as “my not so small baby sister,” was born in the United States.
For 11 years, Momanyi fought the immigration system to gain legal permanent residency for himself and his family. His efforts were unsuccessful, and the family was ordered to leave the country.
“I was barely in my teens, just 48 hours away from being sent back to Kenya,” she recalls. He Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone’s intervention allowed her family to stay. “He changed the trajectory of our lives, proving that when good people run, lives are changed for the better,” she says.
Huldah, her husband Bart Thomas Hiltsley and their daughter in this file photo.
“Now, here I am, elected to the very government that almost sent us away. It is simply surreal.” Admittedly, this memory fuels her drive for public service and the values she learned from her family.
Though she’s spent most of her life in the US, Huldah’s roots remain firmly Kenyan.
“People find it funny, but I speak Kisii more than Swahili,” she says with a grin, crediting her mother’s influence. Growing up in a Kisii household in the US, she learned the values of “community, inclusivity, and looking out for each other.” She recalls her mother’s insistence that her children stay connected to their heritage, a foundation that continues to shape Huldah’s approach to leadership.
As the second-born of four siblings, she embraced the role of a peacemaker. “In our strict household, we had each other’s backs. We covered a lot for each other while hanging out with friends and all. Today, in my adult life, I am the one who resolves most issues. Even for family events, it’s always, ‘Bring in Huldah, she’ll sort it out,’” she offers heartily.
She is the only one in her immediate family to go into politics. Her grandfather, however, was a chief.
“And I am actually named after my grandfather’s mother. So, I proudly introduce myself as Huldah Momanyi, Nche m’mama omwabo omogambi, meaning I am Huldah Momanyi, the mother of a chief,” she intimates in perfect Kisii language.
“Winning this seat wasn’t easy. Campaigning as a businesswoman and mother of two young children—JadaRay Rae Kwamboka, six, and one-year-old Jordan Philip — required support, especially from her husband, Bart Hiltsley.
“He supported me fully, taking care of the kids fully and allowing me to be away on the campaign trail. He threw away all stereotypes of being the man of the house to have my back fully.” she says. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”
Her mother, too, played a vital role, supporting her daughter the way she knew best: through food. “My mum would dutifully cook and drop off managu and ugali at my house to keep me going,” she says, grateful for her mother’s care. Her support network extended to the larger Kenyan community in Minnesota, a circle of encouragement and advice.
“The Kenyan community here is robust, and it’s where I get all my updates on the siasa (politics) back home,” she offers.
One of her first major leadership roles was serving as the president of Mwanyagetinge, the largest organisation of Kenyans in Minnesota. She emphasises the importance of diversity and inclusion within political representation, having recognised a lack of elected leaders from minority backgrounds during her advocacy efforts.
In 2022, she aimed to be the first ever black woman senator in the parliament of Minnesota after she ran to represent District 38 (equivalent of a constituency) in the Minnesota State Senate on a Democratic Party ticket, but lost. Rather than dissuading her, that loss taught her lessons she carried into this successful campaign.
“I built a strong network and learned the system,” she says. “Last time, we didn’t use data; this time, my team reached every voter in a unique, personal way.”
She credits much of her inspiration to Representative Rena Moran, an African-American legislator who encouraged her to run.
“She saw my heart for service and kept checking in. Her faith in me was invaluable,” Huldah reflects. Her ultimate mentor, though, was Senator Wellstone, who intervened to prevent her family’s deportation.
Now representing Minnesota’s District 38A, Huldah is keenly aware of the importance of her heritage and her district’s diversity.
“If you’ve gone through what my family has, this work feels like nothing,” she remarks. Her district, which includes a large African and Asian immigrant population, stands as a testament to her resilience and commitment. “For the longest time, our people were on the menu, not at the table. Now, we have a voice.”
She promises to continue being available to her constituents and has urged them to join hands with her to make District 38A a place where everyone felt valued and empowered. She vowed to fight for safe neighbourhoods, high quality education, affordable housing and healthcare that’s accessible to all.
Huldah’s win comes amid the return of former US president Donald Trump. As a Democrat, she is candid about the challenges ahead.
“His policies often exclude those who don’t fit his vision of America. But I won’t sit in fear,” she asserts. “Now’s the time to build coalition sand stay the course. It’s about hunkering down, and preparing for the next election,”
“My win carries significance beyond my district, sending a powerful message to young women and girls, both in Kenya and the African diaspora. This win is for that little girl somewhere, wondering what her life will be,” she says. “I want her to know she’s powerful on her own, that she can make a difference.”
Her advice for leaders, particularly in Kenya, is clear: “Know your worth, stand by your truth, and put in the work.” She speaks with pride about her heritage and urges Kenyan leaders to embrace transparency, accountability, and civic education. “Kenya’s potential is limitless if we have leaders who put people before personal gain.”
With her family, faith, and community as her foundation, she says that her journey exemplifies the resilience and vision that have carried her from Kisii to the US government.
“My father always says, ‘When you step out in faith and put in the work, the universe conspires in your favour,’” she reflects. For her, this is only the beginning of a legacy she hopes will inspire Kenyans and African immigrants worldwide — a testament to roots, resilience, and the boundless potential of a determined spirit.
On how she ensures her kids are connected with her Kenyan roots, she joyfully states that from each visit she has made to Kenya, she carries back something monumental.
“My daughter celebrated her first birthday in Kenya and fills me with so much joy when she looks at photos taken back home and she can say “that was in Kisii, that is my grandmother’s house in the village, that is me in Mombasa,” she beams.
