Leading PACs of Color Unite to Elect Progressive Candidates
Leading PACs of Color Unite to Elect Progressive Candidates
Unprecedented Resources Committed to Victory in 2018 Midterm Elections
WASHINGTON – The AAPI Victory Fund, Emgage PAC and the Latino Victory Fund are united in supporting diverse, progressive minority candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. In this partnership, the three groups—with their own track record of success—will also work together to keep progressive organizations and the donor community accountable by providing balanced and proportioned funding toward communities of color. There has been a record number of ethnically, religious and gender diverse candidates running for office, and it is important that early investments are made in them. The 2017 electoral results from Virginia, New Jersey and Washington show that diversity in candidates is the winning formula and the path to victory to push back against divisive rhetoric that undermines our values and union.“The electorate in America has changed, and the old campaign playbook of ignoring smaller communities resulted in disastrous results in the 2016 elections,” said Shekar Narasimhan, chair of the AAPI Victory Fund. “Elections continue to be won by the slimmest of margins and ensuring success requires candidates to get the ‘margin of victory’ votes. Simply put, our three communities represent that margin, and with the right investment and cultivation, we can ensure a sustainable majority.”“The 2016 Elections unleashed an unprecedented wave of hate and discrimination at the highest levels,” said Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage PAC. “The Muslim American community knows this firsthand, and we must work to ensure that minority communities become more political engaged in support of the type of candidates who would never use fear or divisiveness to score political gains.”“We have proven that our collective communities are the winning ticket for those candidates and campaigns who are willing to engage with us,” said Cristóbal J. Alex, president of the Latino Victory Fund. “Our work in 2017 changed the landscape of elections, but there is much work that remains to ensure we take back our government from those that work against our communities and the American Dream.”“We know that diversity is better for healthcare and for health research. For the health of our democracy, we must invest early in candidates who can increase the diversity of our elected officials,” said Dr. Tung Nguyen, chair of AAPI Progressive Action. “I look forward to this partnership, which will undoubtedly increase our ability and resources to support candidates from communities of color."“One in four Americans are either immigrants or children of immigrants, and that number continues to grow. Our democracy must include and represent all communities to be representative and fair,” said Sayu Bhojwani, board member of AAPI Progressive Action.
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Empowering the 21 million-strong Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to be the margin of victory, the AAPI Victory Fund - the first Super PAC of its kind - is focused on mobilizing AAPI eligible voters and moving them to the ballot box.
Emgage PAC is a national political action committee that supports local, state, and federal candidates based on their support for civil rights, minority rights, and a diverse America.
The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee with the mission of growing Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government – from the school board to the Senate to the White House.