For Safiya Wazir, the campaign trail stretches from Afghanistan to Concord, New Hampshire.

The 27-year-old Democrat is running for a seat in the 400-member New Hampshire House of Representatives after knocking off Dick Patten, a four-term incumbent in last month's primary.

“I fled the Taliban back in 1997 when I was six years old. I moved to Uzbekistan and I finished my schooling...somewhat, I finished schooling. And then in 2007 of November, when I was 16-and-a-half (years old), we arrived in Concord, New Hampshire,” Safiya said. 

It was a surprising victory for a young, female candidate new to both politics and - compared with her opponent - the country.

"Take that, Donald Trump!" crowed Democratic National Committeewoman Kathy Sullivan in presenting Wazir with a "Courage in Leadership" award this month.

"And this year she decided to run for office, winning the Democratic nomination for the state legislature in her Concord district, beating an anti-immigrant incumbent. So, take that, Donald Trump!” Sullivan said.

Wazir and her family fled the Taliban in 1997, when she was six. They spent 10 years in Uzbekistan before moving to Concord, where she graduated from high school and college and became a US citizen.

Her Republican challenger, Dennis Soucy, says Wazir is getting all the attention for being a refugee, but he's had a hard life, too, building a life around military and community service after growing up poor.