Despite Pending Presidential Race Results,
New Americans Win Down Ballot Races
Despite uncertain results in the presidential election, early results for down ballot races across the country show promising results for New American candidates. As we wait for all ballots to be counted, New American Leaders Action Fund Founder and President Sayu Bhojwani released the following statement:
“We may not have results in the presidential election yet, but one thing is clear: When New Americans run, we win. Thanks to bold new candidates and historic turnout, people like us—New Americans, immigrants, BIPOC leaders, women, LGBTQ+ advocates, and allies—won in down ballot races across the country and are ready to create a new, inclusive chapter in our democracy.
“Even as the final ballots are counted, we can clearly see that our communities recognize the idea that NALAF was founded on: that people like us are the leaders we have been waiting for. NALAF-endorsed candidates like Samra Brouk in New York, Nida Allam in North Carolina and Dr. Michelle Au in Georgia overwhelmingly won their elections last night, becoming trailblazers in their communities and signaling to Trump and all his supporters that we will not tolerate their hate and white nationalism, regardless of what the final election results show.
“They are just a few of the bold New American leaders ready to lead. By running their races based on our model of sharing their unapologetically authentic experiences and rooting their campaigns in diverse communities and identities, over 100 New American candidates won their election last night, including 32 NALAF-endorsed candidates. Now, the next chapter in their leadership journey begins.
“We know that these leaders have their work cut out for them as they start to undo the harm caused by Trump and others like him. But these are the kinds of situations we work with candidates to prepare for. We are confident that they have what it takes to bring bold new ideas to the table and put an end to politics as usual. As elected officials, they will continue what they started on the campaign—a movement to change the face of leadership and create a stronger, more equitable democracy where more people like us can run, win and lead.”
New American Leaders Action Fund endorsed 42 candidates in the general election, with 32 candidates winning so far, including:
Melody Hernandez; Arizona State House of Representatives, District 26
Juan Mendez; Arizona State Senate, District 26
Tony Navarette; Arizona State Senate, District 30
Athena Salman; Arizona State House of Representatives, District 26
Raquel Teran; Arizona State House of Representatives, District 30
Dr. Michelle Au; Georgia State Senate, District 48
Marvin Lim; Georgia State House of Representatives, District 99
Bee Nguyen; Georgia State House of Representatives, District 89
Sam Park; Georgia State House of Representatives, District 101
Tram Nguyen; Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 18th Essex
Maria Robinson; Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 6th Middlesex
Erika Uyterhoeven; Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 27th Middlesex
Darrin Camilleri; Michigan State House of Representatives, District 23
Tania Ganguly; Canton Township Trustee, Michigan
Alex Garza; Michigan State House of Representatives, District 12
Abdullah Hammoud; Michigan State House of Representatives, District 15
Amina Iqbal; Canton Library Board, Michigan
Mari Manoogian; Michigan State House of Representatives, District 40
Ranjeev Puri; Michigan State House of Representatives, District 21
Yousef Rabhi; Michigan State House of Representatives, District 53
Linh Song; Ann Arbor City Council - Ward 2, Michigan
Rashida Tlaib; United States House of Representatives, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District
Samra Brouk; New York State Senate, District 55
Catalina Cruz; New York State Assembly, District 39
Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas; New York State Assembly, District 34
Zohran Mamdani; New York State Assembly, District 36
Marcela Mitaynes; New York State Assembly, District 15
Julia Salazar; New York State Senate, District 18
Phara Souffrant Forrest; New York State Assembly, District 57
Nida Allam; Durham County Commissioner, North Carolina
Ricky Hurtado; North Carolina State House of Representatives, District 63