Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., was the first Muslim-American elected to Congress. By Nikki Schwab. + More. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., was the first Muslim elected to Congress and it's not always been an easy ride. Monday, on book tour duty for his new tome, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” he spoke at the Center for American Progress about being a member of a religion that's often treated as the scapegoat du jour..