According to early election results, over 165 Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) endorsed candidates – roughly 92% of the 180 formally backed by the pro-Armenian advocacy organization – won election to the U.S. Senate and House Tuesday, capping off months of sustained effort – spearheaded by the ANCA Eastern and Western regions – registering voters, signing up volunteers, organizing communities, and raising funds for supportive candidates from both parties and around the country.
Armenian American candidate Anthony Brindisi (D-NY), great-grandson of Armenian Genocide survivors, defeated an incumbent legislator in upstate New York. He will join Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) as the third American of Armenian heritage serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), a leading Senate champion of Armenian American priorities convincingly beat back a challenge, and will return to the Senate as the Ranking Democrat on the influential Foreign Relations Committee. Armenian American Danny Tarkanian (R) ran a spirited campaign, but fell short in his race for a U.S. House seat in Nevada.
Five Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders, including Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jackie Speier (D-CA), and David Valadao (R-CA) and Vice-Chairs Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) were re-elected. Co-Chair Dave Trott (R-MI) is retiring at the end of the term. Turkish Caucus Co-Chairman, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), a perennial obstacle to Congressional commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, was defeated.
“Today was a good day for pro-Armenian Congressional candidates,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The ANCA is proud to have helped empower pro-Armenian voters across America with reliable legislative information about the hundreds of Congressional candidates who sought our electoral support. Americans of Armenian heritage went to the polls in record numbers, strengthening our national standing as an engaged electoral constituency – one that expects results, demands respect, and rewards friends.”
The ANCA will be posting complete results of its Senate and House endorsements during the upcoming days.