From University of Buea to US State Legislature: Cameroonian Wilfred Mbah Wins Massachusetts Election

Cameroonian-born politician Wilfred “Will” Mbah has been elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the United States, nearly two decades after leaving Cameroon to pursue further education abroad.

Mbah, a Democrat and longtime member of the Somerville City Council, secured the 34th Middlesex District seat in the November 3, 2026, general election. The constituency covers parts of Somerville and Medford, two cities near Boston, Massachusetts.

He ran unopposed in the general election after defeating two challengers in the Democratic primary on September 1.

According to unofficial results published by the City of Somerville, Mbah received 6,968 votes in the city’s portion of the district. The result clears the way for him to join the Massachusetts state legislature when its new session begins in January 2027.

His election brings a Cameroonian-born politician into a legislative body responsible for making laws on education, housing, healthcare, taxation and other matters affecting residents of Massachusetts.

From Cameroon to American politics

Mbah’s journey began in Cameroon, where he attended the University of Buea and studied environmental sciences.

According to his official campaign biography, he lost both parents at a young age and was raised by extended family members and foster parents.

His early interest in environmental protection developed through his exposure to the effects of fossil fuel extraction on communities in Nigeria’s Niger Delta and his experiences in Cameroon.

After university, he volunteered in Buea, Limbe and Yaoundé, working on environmental protection and public-health initiatives.

In 2008, Mbah received a scholarship to study at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, where he pursued postgraduate studies in environmental science.

After completing his studies in Sweden, he obtained a visa to the United States through the Diversity Visa Lottery programme.

He initially stayed with relatives in Taunton, Massachusetts, before moving to Somerville, where he eventually became involved in community organising and local government.

Nearly a decade in public office

Mbah entered elected politics in 2017, winning a seat on the Somerville City Council.

Over subsequent years, he became involved in debates over affordable housing, environmental protection, policing and the treatment of vulnerable residents.

His campaign credits him with helping establish Somerville’s Office of Housing Stability, which assists residents facing eviction and displacement.

He also worked on efforts to address racial profiling in policing and strengthen protections for people at risk of losing their homes.

In 2021, he ran for mayor of Somerville but was unsuccessful.

He continued serving on the City Council and won re-election in 2023 and again in November 2025, when he received the highest number of votes among candidates contesting the city’s four at-large council seats.

Mbah currently serves as vice-president of the City Council.

Alongside his political career, he continued his education, earning a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School in 2024.

Victory in Massachusetts

Mbah announced his campaign for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in January 2026, seeking to represent the 34th Middlesex District.

The seat was being vacated by Democratic lawmaker Christine Barber.

He faced Paul Ruseau and Christopher Oates in the September Democratic primary and won with 3,765 votes, compared with 1,955 for Ruseau and 1,271 for Oates, according to Massachusetts election records.

Speaking after the primary victory, Mbah expressed gratitude to his supporters and said the experience had been humbling.

Having arrived in the United States about 16 years earlier, he said he had never imagined he would one day become a candidate for the state legislature.

His general election victory on November 3 completed that journey.

Mbah had already submitted his resignation from the Somerville City Council, effective December 31, 2026, to allow him to take up his new responsibilities.

What his election means

Mbah’s election comes at a time when immigration remains a major issue in American politics.

His political career has centred on questions affecting working families, including housing affordability, environmental protection and access to public services.

During his campaign for state representative, he argued that several measures supported by Somerville and Medford residents were being delayed because they required approval from the Massachusetts legislature.

His move to the state House will give him an opportunity to pursue those issues at the level where many of the relevant decisions are made.

For Cameroonians at home and abroad, Mbah’s election also draws attention to a member of the diaspora who has moved from studying at a public university in Cameroon to representing voters in an American state legislature.

It is, however, an American public office with responsibilities to his constituents in Massachusetts.

Mbah lives in Somerville with his wife, Christelle, and their two children.

His election on November 3 marks the next stage of a political career that began with community organising and grew through nearly a decade of service in local government.