Tuesday, November 8 2022 10:56

ArmInfo.Armenian Americans across the United States are positioned to play a decisive role in the 2022 mid-term elections - generating record turnout in support of  friends and opposition to foes running in hotly contested races from  Pennsylvania and California to Florida and Michigan and  Massachusetts.  

"The record turnout by Armenian Americans from across the political  spectrum - Independents, Republicans, and Democrats - casting their  ballots this election positions our community as potentially pivotal  voters in key races across the country," said ANCA Chairman Raffi  Hamparian. "Our political diversity represents a core strength for  our community, as is our tradition of crossing party lines when  Artsakh's survival and Armenia's security are at stake." 

The ANCA is working in House districts and state-wide Senate races  across the country. In terms of U.S.  Senate elections, the ANCA is  prioritizing the defeat of Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) by John Fetterman (D) in  the race to fill the seat vacated by retiring Senator Pat Toomey  (R-PA). Oz is a dual Turkish citizen who has served in the Turkish  army, voted in Turkish elections, taken millions from Turkey's state  airline, is closely associated with Turkey's President Recep Erdogan,  and refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide.  Fetterman, for his  part, has endorsed recognition of the Armenian Genocide and called  for increased public education about this crime. The race is among  the tightest in the nation. The ANC of Pennsylvania has actively  campaigned against Dr. Oz in both the Republican primary and the  general election - including through two recent rallies at Oz's  headquarters and outside the Oz-Fetterman debate.  

The ANCA is also working hard to re-elect Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL),  who has championed pro- accountability legislation condemning Baku's  aggression and cutting off U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan. As a  member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Rubio has  partnered with the panel's Chair, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), on a  range of ANCA-backed initiatives. The Sunshine State's Senate race is  viewed as competitive and possibly pivotal in terms of which party  will control the Senate.  

Among the Armenian American community's highest U.S. House priorities  is ANCA-endorsed Congressman David Valadao's (R-CA) re-election  campaign in Central California. Rep. Valadao, who has visited Artsakh  and consistently secured A+ grades from the ANCA, is facing Democrat  Rudy Salas, who serves in the California State Assembly. The newly  drawn 22nd Congressional District in California, which includes  Delano, Porterville, Hanford, and parts of Bakersfield, is home to  thousands of Armenian Americans who may play a decisive role in this  election. Nearby, in California's 21st Congressional District, the  ANCA is backing the reelection of Representative Jim Costa, an A+  graded champion of Armenian American policy priorities. This San  Joaquin Valley district is home to a large and active Armenian  American community that has worked closely with Rep. Costa for many  years to advance Armenian American policy priorities.  

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, ANCA has endorsed U.S. Rep. Abigail  Spanberger (D-VA) in a hotly contested race due to her strong support  for a broad array of Armenian American policy priorities and  longstanding ties to the local Armenian American community. In  California, ANCA endorsed candidate Congresswoman Young Kim (R-CA),  who represents Armenian Americans residing in Orange County, is vying  for a second term in a competitive election. In Ohio, the Chair of  the Turkish and Azerbaijani caucuses, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), is  facing a very challenging re-election campaign in a newly drawn  Congressional district.  

All told, across the United States, the ANCA has endorsed 88 House  and Senate candidates who have earned Armenian American support  through their concrete actions in support of our community's policy  priorities.