PRINCETON - A lieutenant colonel in the United States Army who worked as a trauma surgeon in

Iraq and Gaza and Haiti, Dr. Adam Hamawy wants to represent the people of the 12th Congressional District.

It's what he comes from.

InsiderNJ this morning spent time with the Democratic candidate on the same day that community grassroots organizer Elijah Dixon dropped out of the contest and endorsed Hamawy's candidacy.

An immigrant who came to Jersey City from Egypt at seven months, grew up in Plainfield and Old Bridge, went to Rutgers, and owns a medical practice here in Princeton, Hamawy in his bid to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12) also has the backing of United States Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Il).

The two of them, Hamawy and Duckworth, have met before.

They have a history.

Hear him tell the story and more, like what he wants to do in Congress to improve affordability and government accountability:

This unfolds in CD-12 amid increasing tensions between candidates trying to occupy the progressive lane in the contest, with Dr. Hamawy targeted HERE, and CAIR Action NJ's subsequent reply below:

A coalition including CAIR Action NJ, CAIR NJ, NJ Muslim Civic Coalition, American Muslims for Palestine - NJ, Palestinian American Community Center (PACC), Emgage Action, Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN), Jewish Voice for Peace, If Not Now, Hindus for Human Rights Action, and Resistencia en Acción New Jersey condemn Sue Altman's mischaracterization of Dr. Adam Hamawy's comments on the Iron Dome as a continuation of one of the most anti-Muslim rhetorical patterns in post-9/11 American politics. Altman’s distortion of a Muslim, Arab American candidate’s policy argument into a baseless accusation that he secretly desires the death of civilians is deeply Islamophobic and anti-Arab.

The Coalition calls on Sue Altman to retract her mischaracterization and unfounded accusation of Dr. Hamawy's Iron Dome comments as an expression of desire for Israeli civilian death and to commit to a campaign that engages voters on the substance of policy. Additionally, the Coalition also calls upon those elected officials and organizations who have endorsed, and will endorse, Sue Altman, to hold her accountable for her anti-Muslim rhetoric.