Washington, Nov 6 (PTI): Indian-American Congressional candidate Susheela Jayapal, who is younger sister of powerful lawmaker Pramila Jayapal, has raised more than USD 100,000 in the first 72 hours of announcing her decision to run for the US House of Representatives seat from the third congressional district of Oregon.
If elected, Jayapal would be the first ever Indian American Congresswoman from Oregon. "I'm bowled over by the support that our campaign is already receiving. It's clear that voters in our district want a strong, effective progressive champion in Congress, just as I have been in our community for decades,” Jayapal said.
Jayapal, born in India, and grew up in India, Singapore, and Indonesia, is a former Multnomah County Commissioner. She announced her campaign on November 1, and was the first candidate to enter the race. Her priorities in Congress include fighting climate change, spurring federal action on housing and homelessness, defending abortion rights, and protecting our civil rights and democracy.
The announcement of this fundraising milestone accompanies endorsements from what the Oregonian/Oregonlive is calling “a slew of community leaders and elected officials on the state and local level.” More than 30 early endorsers of Jayapal's campaign include State Senator Kayse Jama, Senate Representatives Tawna Sanchez and Hoa Nguyen, and local nonprofit directors like Ernesto Fonseca of Hacienda CDC, a Latino-led nonprofit that provides affordable housing and homeownership support in the Cully neighborhood of Portland, and Rukiyah Adams of the 1803 Fund, which bolters Portland’s Albina neighborhood and strengthens the local Black community.
A mother of two, Jayapal has been an outspoken champion for reproductive rights, education, and economic justice. Prior to entering elected office, she was a dedicated community advocate and volunteer, serving on numerous local boards, including Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, Metropolitan Family Service, and All Hands Raised; and as an advocate with CASA for Children among others.
She was elected to the Multnomah County Commission in 2018, and re-elected in 2022 with almost 80 per cent of the vote. She stepped down in order to run for Congress.
While on the Commission, she was a stalwart advocate for comprehensive solutions to homelessness, including expanding shelter, creating more affordable housing, long term rent assistance, and behavioral health services; and has fought to provide a living wage to workers on the frontlines of our mental health and homelessness crisis.
She’s been recognised for her work supporting survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking; has strengthened support for immigrant and refugee communities; advanced policy and programs for clean air; and has secured funding for innovative community-led crime prevention initiatives.
When she was 16, her parents used all of their savings to send her to the United States for college. Jayapal attended Swarthmore College, where she majored in Economics.
After receiving her law degree from the University of Chicago, Jayapal worked as a litigator in private practice, and later became general counsel for Adidas America, where she was the only woman and only person of colour in senior leadership at the time. PTI LKJ ZH PY PY PY
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