Much about Amir Omar, one of Richardson's newest City Council members, is a contradiction.
His parents, who grew up Shiite and Sunni in radically different home environments. His support base, which combined the city's business elite with those who are often the group's loudest critics.
And his role as politician, a trailblazer believed to be the first Muslim elected to office in North Texas, with a message focused on conservative fiscal policy and attracting young professionals to town.
"Regardless of my audience, my message has been the same: How are we going to solve these issues?" said Omar, 37. "Religion shouldn't be a factor in the way a city councilman should approach his job."
In defeating an incumbent Saturday to capture the Place 7 seat, Omar's faith was as much of an issue to supporters as other factors that may have hurt him - especially his recent arrival to Richardson, a place where candidates often tout decades of service.
He won narrowly, despite support from a local political group whose other selections won big. And he brushed aside rumors, in whispers and thinly veiled public statements, that some said were biased against his ethnicity and religion.
Neither Omar nor his supporters were surprised by the anti-Muslim sentiment, even as Muslims are becoming more politically active.
After 9/11, there was fear and backlash against Muslims that only now is receding, said Mohamed Elibiary, president and CEO of the Freedom and Justice Foundation, a Muslim interfaith organization.
Omar's victory, he said, is both a way to overcome that mistrust and a sign of progress.
"The solution to that fear is outreach and time," Elibiary said. "Meeting people like Amir, people say, 'I need to reassess my values.' "
Religion issue
Omar's faith did not figure largely in his campaign, but neither did he hide from it.
In gearing up for his council run, Omar met with leaders he met at council meetings. Many reacted positively, although some said his religion gave them pause.
Bob Nusser, a former council member, said he told Omar that he didn't agree with his faith but would vote for him.
"He's saying the right things to people," Nusser said. "I don't think it's a facade."
Omar earned the endorsement of the Richardson Coalition, a political action committee formed after longtime mayor Gary Slagel was ousted from the post in 2007.
Unlike Omar, the other endorsees were well-established local figures, including longtime incumbents such as Slagel. But they liked how Omar seemed to approach issues.
"I found out he's a strong conservative, and he's an inquisitive guy," said Martha Ritter, one of the coalition leaders.
The group did not give money to candidates but produced a glossy guide listing its endorsements. Several coalition contributors also gave money to those candidates.
But Omar also won the support of people who regularly criticize the coalition and most of the candidates it endorsed.
"He brings to the city some very valuable, fresh ideas," said Nathan Morgan, a resident who regularly chides the coalition. "He's essentially an outsider."
Rumors, mudslinging
During the campaign, mud flew.
One allegation, that in the last Republican primary he voted in a precinct he no longer lived in, was true. Others were not, like the rumor that he had lied about his degree from Texas A&M University.
"Everything they could find out, it started with this ethnic and religious bias," Morgan said.
That was never a question for businessman and philanthropist Charles Eisemann. But he said he has felt backlash.
"I've had people upset with me because I support someone who's a Muslim," he said. "I think it's good that someone has a religious foundation, no matter what that is."
Omar grew up in Harlingen, the son of parents whose marriage would have been unlikely in their home countries.
His mother was an upper-middle-class Iranian, his father a Palestinian villager of modest means. They met in Arizona, where their families had sent them for college.
After college, Omar and his wife moved to Dallas. He sold Lexuses before entering high-tech sales and management. Then the political bug bit.
Civic involvement
Omar ran for Congress in 2006 in part to show that he could win votes against a popular Democrat, Eddie Bernice Johnson, in a heavily Democratic area. But he lost in the primary runoff.
Omar came to Richardson, he said, so his son could continue attending high school with his friends.
To familiarize himself, he started going to council meetings. He got involved in the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and other groups.
"Sitting there in work sessions, meeting after meeting, I started to recognize there were opportunities to inject a little different approach, a more businesslike approach," Omar said.
Omar spent more than $10,000 on his campaign, thousands more than his opponent, incumbent Dennis Stewart. He tapped his network for support and starting burning shoe leather. The work paid off, and he won by 220 votes
In doing so, Omar created another contradiction, by becoming the newest member of what some call Richardson's old guard. As a Muslim, he made history while doing it.
"Richardson needs some fresh faces and some fresh politicians," Eisemann said. "We need diversity."
