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AVAKIAN TAKES PAGE FROM WU WITH ETHNIC FUNDRAISERS
By Jonathan J. Cooper
Modesto Bee, CA
San Francisco Chronicle, CA
San Jose Mercury News , CA
Oct 14 2011
PORTLAND, Ore. -- In his bid for former Rep. David Wu's seat in
Congress, Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian is using his family's ethnic
roots to raise campaign cash from Armenian communities around the
United States, even though Avakian had criticized Wu for out-of-state
fundraising.
During the past month, Avakian has held fundraisers with Armenian
leaders in Ohio and California. The strategy is similar to one that
helped Wu, one of the only Chinese-Americans to serve in Congress,
feed his campaign bank account during his congressional career.
"The Armenian community across the country is very interested in
having people in Congress who will be champions for their issues,"
Avakian told The Associated Press. "I was able to meet a lot of people
in both places that were helpful to me."
Avakian's campaign declined to say how much money he's raised from
his efforts in Armenian communities. A group called Armenians for
Avakian has raised $7,400 online for the Democrat, who faces a tough
primary fight against two legislators.
Avakian has traveled twice to Southern California, including a trip
last week for a fundraiser hosted by celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos
and a political committee that advocates interests important to
Armenian-Americans.
Last month, he held fundraisers in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio.
Before Wu resigned in August after denying he made an inappropriate
sexual advance, Avakian's campaign slammed Wu for raising much of
his money from donors outside Oregon. In an email to supporters,
the Avakian campaign said the election should be decided by Oregon
voters, not "wealthy donors and special interests in Washington D.C.,
California, and on the East Coast."
Avakian said his outreach to Armenian Americans around the country
is different because, unlike Wu in the last quarter of his campaign,
Avakian is still getting much of his money from inside Oregon.
Avakian's chief rival, state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici, also is tapping
into a national donor network from Emily's List, which raises money
for Democratic women running for office.
According to an Armenian biography created by his campaign, Avakian's
grandparents were both born and raised in separate towns in what is
now eastern Turkey. Both left before the mass killing of Armenians
in 1915 and eventually settled among a sizeable Armenian community
in Fresno, Calif., where they met and were married.
Avakian's father was one of 10 children. He settled with his wife
and their two children in Beaverton when Brad Avakian was 9.
"It'll be our dream come true to have a representative in the United
States Congress and also a national pride," said Kevork Parseghian,
a leader of the small Armenian community in Oregon.
In Oregon, the Armenian community is relatively small, with only about
300 families on the Armenian Community of Oregon mailing list. It's
estimated there are a couple hundred more families with Armenian
ancestry that haven't engaged with the group.
Leaders of the Armenian community said Avakian wasn't particularly
active before his campaign but the group would be proud to have a
local Armenian represent them.
The top political issue for Armenians is convincing the U.S. Congress
to officially declare the mass killing of Armenians a genocide -
a move opposed by Turkey, a key U.S. ally.
Avakian would be the third Armenian American in Congress, joining
Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier, both California Democrats.
Ballots are due Nov. 8 in the special primary election. Avakian faces
Bonamici and state Rep. Brad Witt in the race for the Democratic
nomination.
http://www.modbee.com/2011/10/14/1904831/avakian-takes-page-from-wu-with.html
From: A. Papazian
By Jonathan J. Cooper
Modesto Bee, CA
San Francisco Chronicle, CA
San Jose Mercury News , CA
Oct 14 2011
PORTLAND, Ore. -- In his bid for former Rep. David Wu's seat in
Congress, Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian is using his family's ethnic
roots to raise campaign cash from Armenian communities around the
United States, even though Avakian had criticized Wu for out-of-state
fundraising.
During the past month, Avakian has held fundraisers with Armenian
leaders in Ohio and California. The strategy is similar to one that
helped Wu, one of the only Chinese-Americans to serve in Congress,
feed his campaign bank account during his congressional career.
"The Armenian community across the country is very interested in
having people in Congress who will be champions for their issues,"
Avakian told The Associated Press. "I was able to meet a lot of people
in both places that were helpful to me."
Avakian's campaign declined to say how much money he's raised from
his efforts in Armenian communities. A group called Armenians for
Avakian has raised $7,400 online for the Democrat, who faces a tough
primary fight against two legislators.
Avakian has traveled twice to Southern California, including a trip
last week for a fundraiser hosted by celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos
and a political committee that advocates interests important to
Armenian-Americans.
Last month, he held fundraisers in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio.
Before Wu resigned in August after denying he made an inappropriate
sexual advance, Avakian's campaign slammed Wu for raising much of
his money from donors outside Oregon. In an email to supporters,
the Avakian campaign said the election should be decided by Oregon
voters, not "wealthy donors and special interests in Washington D.C.,
California, and on the East Coast."
Avakian said his outreach to Armenian Americans around the country
is different because, unlike Wu in the last quarter of his campaign,
Avakian is still getting much of his money from inside Oregon.
Avakian's chief rival, state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici, also is tapping
into a national donor network from Emily's List, which raises money
for Democratic women running for office.
According to an Armenian biography created by his campaign, Avakian's
grandparents were both born and raised in separate towns in what is
now eastern Turkey. Both left before the mass killing of Armenians
in 1915 and eventually settled among a sizeable Armenian community
in Fresno, Calif., where they met and were married.
Avakian's father was one of 10 children. He settled with his wife
and their two children in Beaverton when Brad Avakian was 9.
"It'll be our dream come true to have a representative in the United
States Congress and also a national pride," said Kevork Parseghian,
a leader of the small Armenian community in Oregon.
In Oregon, the Armenian community is relatively small, with only about
300 families on the Armenian Community of Oregon mailing list. It's
estimated there are a couple hundred more families with Armenian
ancestry that haven't engaged with the group.
Leaders of the Armenian community said Avakian wasn't particularly
active before his campaign but the group would be proud to have a
local Armenian represent them.
The top political issue for Armenians is convincing the U.S. Congress
to officially declare the mass killing of Armenians a genocide -
a move opposed by Turkey, a key U.S. ally.
Avakian would be the third Armenian American in Congress, joining
Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier, both California Democrats.
Ballots are due Nov. 8 in the special primary election. Avakian faces
Bonamici and state Rep. Brad Witt in the race for the Democratic
nomination.
http://www.modbee.com/2011/10/14/1904831/avakian-takes-page-from-wu-with.html
From: A. Papazian