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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2018
Emgage PAC is proud to announce our winning endorsed candidates
Washington, D.C. – Emgage PAC is pleased to announce that 138 of our endorsed candidates for the 2018 midterm elections won their respective races. We are extremely proud of the results and want to express our sincere gratitude to the Muslim American communities across the United States who came out to not only vote for these candidates but also canvassed, fundraised, phone-banked, and campaigned as well.
Several of our endorsees flipped their states, including Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-8), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7) and Harley Rouda (D-CA-48). Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5) are the first two Muslim women in American history to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Democrats managed to gain control of the House, tilting the political control in Washington, D.C. away from a complete Republican hold. The 2018 midterm elections made history for its night of firsts for women and minorities. We saw an unprecedented number of women running for office and over 100 women have been elected to the House. These victories represent a rejection of the divisive, fear-mongering tactics that have defined the current administration and its allies
Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action, said, “Last night, the American people exercised their precious right to vote and sent the President a clear message to end his divisive, racist and misogynist rhetoric and policies. They told him that they want equal protection under the law. They want religious freedom. They want to protect the environment. And they want human treatment of migrants and refugees. We are proud to have played a role in sending him that message.”
In addition to our successful candidates, a couple of ballot initiatives that our Emgage State Chapters advocated for also were approved by their constituents. Emgage Florida spent the past year fighting to restore ex-felon voting rights and last night, their efforts paid off. Florida voters approved Amendment 4, which automatically restored full voting rights for people previously convicted of felonies.
“Florida voters chose to take a significant step forward in the field of civil rights by passing Amendment 4. We are proud of the Muslim community for having been involved in this great effort, following in the footsteps of great Muslim civil rights advocates like Malcolm X.” said Emgage Florida Legislative Director, David Sleeth.
In Michigan, voters approved Proposal 2 and Proposal 3. Proposal 2 ends the practice of gerrymandering and supports re-drawing the state’s congressional and legislative districts. Proposal 3 allows absentee ballots for any reason, provides the option of straight-ticket voting, and allows citizens to register to vote up to and on Election Day allowing same-day registration.
“Last night, Michigan finally had the opportunity to put democracy in the hands of the people with the passage of the Independent citizens redistricting commission and promote the vote. Our voices will finally be heard. We are so proud of the efforts of our community partners, and we look forward to continue the fight for justice.” said Emgage Michigan Executive Director, Nada Al-Hanooti.
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Emgage Action is the leading American Muslim civic and political engagement organization. Emgage PAC is a bipartisan, nationally based political action committee that supports state and federal candidates, primarily in battleground states, based on their support for civil rights, minority rights and a diverse America where underrepresented communities are seen as a part of the social fabric of our nation.
Emgage PAC is a bi-partisan national political action committee that supports local, state, and federal candidates who share our vision of an inclusive and tolerant America. Emgage PAC has endorsed and financially supported candidates across the country who have a track record of upholding civil rights, welcoming diversity, and protecting religious freedom.
For more information, please contact Wa’el Alzayat at walzayat@emgageaction.org or Iman Awad at iawad@emgageaction.org.
