Yusuf A. Hakeem

Current office and 2026 campaign

Yusuf A. Hakeem is a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 28, which covers part of Chattanooga. He assumed office in November 2018. He ran for re-election in 2024 and defeated challenger Demetrus Coonrod in the Democratic primary.

Hakeem's stated priorities include expanding public healthcare and lowering prescription drug costs, fully funding education programs, criminal justice reform focused on reducing recidivism, and addressing poverty in communities of color. As a Chattanooga City Council member, he passed "Ban the Box" legislation requiring employers to remove criminal-history questions from employment applications.

Background and education

Hakeem was born on December 5, 1948. He graduated from Howard High School in Chattanooga in 1966. He earned an associate degree in electronics from Chattanooga State Community College and attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he studied economics.

Career

Hakeem is a retiree from General Electric Corporation, where he spent a career in manufacturing. He subsequently served as a member of the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole from 2006 to 2013.

Hakeem served on the Hamilton County School Board from 1981 to 1990. He served on the Chattanooga City Council for District 9 from 1990 to 2006 and again from 2013 to 2017, during which he founded the Chattanooga Youth Council. He serves as chairman of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and holds positions with the NAACP and local transportation planning organizations.

Family

He is married to Baseemah. They have four children. He is a member and deacon of Second Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga.

Sources