PRESS RELEASE
Bay Area Armenian National Committee
51 Commonwealth Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94118
Contact: Armen Carapetian (415) 948-7091
Bay Area Armenian-American Jackie Speier Runs for US Congress
FOSTER CITY, CA – Bay Area Armenian National Committee (ANC) activists
joined hundreds of enthusiastic supporters at the campaign kickoff of
former California State Senator Jackie Speier, who announced her
candidacy for California’s 12th US congressional district on Sunday,
January 13, 2008.
Dozens of public officials gathered around Jackie Speier, her husband
Barry Dennis, and children Jackson Sierra and Stephanie Sierra for the
announcement. They included former State Senator and Majority Leader
John Burton, State Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, and US Representatives Anna
Eshoo and Mike Thompson. Congresswoman Eshoo, who like Speier is of
Armenian descent, warmly introduced and welcomed her long-time friend
to the podium.
California’s 12th congressional district has been represented by
Congressman Tom Lantos since 1980. Earlier this month, Representative
Lantos announced that he would not seek reelection in 2008 due to a
diagnosis of esophageal cancer.
Encompassing San Mateo County and a portion of San Francisco, the 12th
congressional district coincides with much of the area that Jackie
Speier has served as a public official since 1980. Speier’s political
career began when she first won a seat on the San Mateo County Board
of Supervisors in that year. After serving for six years as a San
Mateo County Supervisor, she made a successful bid for the State
Assembly and in 1998 was elected to the State Senate. In 2006 she
attempted to gain the California Democratic Party’s nomination for
Lieutenant Governor, but was narrowly defeated by John Garamendi. The
Bay Area ANC has fostered a strong working relationship with Sen.
Speier throughout her career.å
Jackie Speier is appreciated throughout the Armenian American
community for her long-standing support of legislation and issues that
affect Armenian Americans in California. Since her time as a member of
the State Assembly, Speier authored numerous measures of interest to
Armenian Americans among more than 300 pieces of legislation she
introduced that were signed into law. Shortly before being termed out
of the Senate, Speier coauthored a bill that was signed into law
allowing California families of victims of the Armenian Genocide to
bring claims arising out of a failure of a bank to pay or turn over
their deposited or looted assets. For her achievements, the Armenian
National Committee -Western Region named Jackie Speier Woman of the
Year at its 2006 annual banquet.
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