ARMENIAN-AMERICANS TO CHALLENGE CONGRESSIONAL INCUMBENTS IN 2010
by Emil Sanamyan
8-21-armenian-americans-to-challenge-congressional -incumbents-in-2010
Friday August 21, 2009
Running in Senate race in Nevada, House races in Michigan, Ohio
Washington – At least three Armenian-Americans have launched
electoral campaigns to take on incumbent members of Congress in the
2010 elections.
Danny Tarkanian, a Las Vegas businessperson of Armenian descent,
is seeking the Republican Party nomination to challenge Senate
Majority leader Harry Reid in the 2010 elections, Mr. Tarkanian’s
office reported on August 9.
Making the announcement, Mr. Tarkanian acknowledged he was facing
long odds.
"I have no illusions about what I’m up against, but I also know I am
doing the right thing," he said in a statement, adding that he would
run on mainstay Republican issues, such as opposition to growth in
government spending and regulation.
According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, six other individuals are
seeking the GOP nomination in addition to Mr. Tarkanian, and Nevada
Republicans were also reportedly seeking to recruit others.
But Sen. Reid, who is running for a fifth term in the Senate, is
believed to be a strong favorite. His campaign expected to raise $25
million in campaign cash.
Nevada’s other senator is John Ensign, a Republican who has recently
admitted to an extramarital affair; he is not up for re-election
until 2012.
Son of the nationally renowned basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian,
Danny Tarkanian previously ran for the Nevada State Senate in 2004
and Nevada Secretary of State in 2006, both times unsuccessfully. In
the latter run he received votes of more than 230,000 Nevadans.
Both incumbent Nevada senators – Democrat Reid and Republican Ensign –
have been supportive of Armenian-American issues.
Armenian Caucus member challenged in Michigan
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R.-Mich.), an active member of the Armenian
Congressional Caucus, in his fourth term in Congress, is facing a
challenge from an Armenian-American Democrat.
An educator and community activist, Natalie Manoogian Mosher is seeking
the Democratic nomination in the 11th congressional district, which
includes northwestern suburbs of Detroit, in the 2010 election. The
district has elected Republican members of Congress since 1967.
As part of her campaign announcement earlier this year, Mrs. Mosher
pledged to "make certain the Armenian-American community has an active
and effective advocate" in Washington.
Michigan is one of the U.S. states most affected by the recession
and Rep. McCotter is believed to be vulnerable. Mrs. Mosher has
strongly criticized the incumbent Republican’s opposition to the
Obama administration’s economic stimulus programs and healthcare
reform proposal.
According to CQ Politics, the Michigan Democratic Party was seeking
to recruit additional candidates to run against Rep. McCotter.
Armenian-Turkish debate in Ohio
David Krikorian is another Armenian-American seeking the Democratic
Party’s nomination ahead of the 2010 elections. Unlike the other two
challengers, he is running against an incumbent who is opposed to
the Armenian-American agenda and is supported by the Turkish lobby.
Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt is in her third term and represents
Ohio’s 2nd congressional district that includes parts of Cincinnati;
the district has been under GOP control since 1983.
Last April Ms. Schmidt filed a complaint against Mr. Krikorian over his
charges that she took money from Turkish government interests to oppose
the congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. As part of the
complaint, Ms. Schmidt is represented by Turkish American Legal Defense
Fund, an organization linked to the Turkish lobby. Mr. Krikorian
in turn retained the help of Mark Geragos, a prominent attorney of
Armenian-American descent.
The Ohio Elections Commission is expected to rule on the complaint
on September 3.
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