Iranian Americans Play a Critical Role in the US Election: List of Iranian Americans on the Ballot in California, Washington and Tennessee
In less than 24 hours, on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, an estimated one million Americans of Iranian heritage can make a large impact in one of the most contested elections in recent US history. Hillary Clinton is for honoring, and Donald Trump is for voiding, the recently signed Nuclear Peace Deal with Iran. It is expected that only a few million votes will set the two main Presidential Candidates apart.
NIPOC (Network of Iranian-American Professionals of Orange County), PAAIA (The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans) and Kodoom (The Independent Aggregator of Persian News/Events) invite all Iranian Americans to vote. There are also several Iranian Americans who are on the ballot in State and Local Elections and will benefit from the support of fellow Iranian Americans (Sources: PAAIA and NIPOC Websites):
State of California
Shiva Farivar is a mother, community leader, and longtime Irvine resident, who is running for a seat in Irvine City Council to protect the quality of life and move our City forward.
Shiva was born in Tehran, but spent much of her childhood in Germany. In 1978, after graduating from the German High School in Tehran, she moved to California to pursue her higher education. She received her Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and German Literature from the UC San Diego, and her Master’s Degree in German Literature from UC Irvine.
As an active member of the Persian Community, Shiva has for the past six years coordinated efforts with other Community leaders to have the City of Irvine proclaim March 21 as Persian New Year Day. She has directed the Persian New Year Festival in Irvine for three years, which has been attended by not only Iranians, but also Public Officials and the Community-at-Large. Due to the overwhelming success of the event, Shiva and other Community members are planning to hold the event on an annual basis. Shiva served on Irvine’s Community Services Commission for seven and a half years, and she chaired the commission for five years. In this role, she oversaw all aspects of the City’s Parks and Recreational Programs. She also chaired the Advisory Committee of Irvine’s Strategic Plan for Children, Youth and Families. Her long history of community involvement includes serving on numerous school site councils, working as the Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Irvine, and directing the Persian New Year Festival in Irvine for three years.
Shiva is deeply committed to represent the interests of all Irvine residents in order to achieve the best programs and services the City has to offer. Her official Website can be found at shivafarivar.com
Ron Varasteh is a scientist, engineer, and small business owner, and a Democratic candidate for the 45th U.S. Congressional District of California. Varasteh came in second in California’s open primary system and will face incumbent Congresswoman Mimi Walters (R-CA) in the general election. His campaign has been endorsed by the California Democratic Party (CADEM), Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC), Orange County Young Democrats (OCYD), and Progressive Democrats of America (PDA). A 35 year resident of Orange County, Varasteh is a long-time activist for causes pertaining to improved quality of life for all citizens.
Marjan Philhour is a candidate for San Francisco Board of Supervisors from District 1 (Richmond District). Born in the Richmond District of San Francisco to an Iranian father and a Filipino mother, Philhour grew up in the Bay Area and is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley. She spent four years in the U.S. House of Representatives serving as a legislative aide to Members of Congress. After returning home to California, Philhour served as senior advisor to Governor Gray Davis’ chief of staff. She is a member of San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC).
As a working mother of three young children and a small business owner with experience in the complexities of City Hall, Marjan plans to lead a responsive public partnership between the City and local residents to help the Richmond thrive. If elected, Marjan would be the first Filipino-American, and the first Iranian-American woman, to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Her husband Byron is a high school physics teacher.
Ahsha Safai is running for the office of the Supervisor of District 11, the most diverse district in San Francisco. Ahsha Safai was born in Iran in 1973. At the age of five, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts with his mother where he later received his bachelor's degree in African American Studies and Political Science from Northeastern University and his master's degree in Urban Studies and City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Ahsha later moved to San Francisco, taking a position with the city's Housing Authority. In 2003, he joined Gavin Newsom's campaign for Mayor and later served as the Deputy Director for the Mayor's Office of Community Development and in the San Francisco Department of Public Works. Since moving to San Francisco, Safai has encouraged Iranian Americans to get involved in local politics and public service. As a field operator for Newsom's first mayoral campaign, Safai has ensured regular meetings between Mayor Newsom and the Iranian American community.
Fred Ameri is a candidate for the City Council of Newport Beach, California. Mr. Ameri and his wife are 19 year residents of Newport Beach. Fred is a planner and engineer by training. He earned his BS in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly-Pomona, his Masters Degree in Urban Planning and Engineering at California State University Long Beach, and did post-graduate work at the University of California Irvine. A businessman and entrepreneur, Fred Ameri had a four decade career at RBF Consulting, a major Infrastructure and Project Management firm.
Mani Farhadi: A third generation Iranian American with 28 years of experience in an architecture firm, is a candidate for Los Gatos Union School District Board of Trustees. Farhadi is running as an appointed incumbent of the school board. Her term is up in 2016 and she is one of three candidates running for two seats on the Los Gatos Union School District board of trustees. Her campaign has been endorsed by numerous public officials, organizations, and community leaders, including the Vice Mayor of the Los Gatos Town Council, several former and current members of the Board of Trustees, and the Los Gatos Elementary Teachers’ Association (LGETA). Prior to being appointed to the school board she served on two Bond Oversight Committees for the Los Gatos Union School District.
Sean Panahi, an attorney, is the Democratic nominee for California's 68th State Assembly district. On June 7, 2016, Panahi received the most votes in a crowded field of seven candidates on primary day. He now faces the Mayor of Irvine, California and Republican Steven S. Choi in the general election. A proponent of public and community service, Panahi serves on the Board of Directors of a Non-Profit organization providing mental health needs and social services to Southern California’s elder and under-privileged population.
Daniel E. Sabzehzar is a candidate for Merced City Council District 5. Sabzehzar is an aspiring physician, a biochemistry and public-health student at the University of California, Merced, a collegiate and international athlete, the owner of a digital and social media agency, and the incoming Vice President of the United Way of Merced County. He will face Merced County deputy district attorney Matthew Serratto in the November election. His campaign has been endorsed by Communities for a New California, a civil and human rights organization committed to achieving public policy that is socially, economically, and environmentally just for California’s families, and various community leaders.
Alex Naghibi is running for Mission Viejo City Council. Mr. Naghibi is a successful Iranian American businessman who has lived in Orange County, California for the past three decades. He is a director and president of two associations, and have implemented many capital improvements. He received his Masters degree in Education Administration from Phillips University in Enid Oklahoma, and his Juris Doctorate from Trinity Law School in Santa Ana. If elected, his number one priority is to create jobs, improve local economy, and to promote capital improvements. He is a strong proponent of supporting local law enforcement and public safety professionals. He believes a safe city is a prosperous city.
State of Washington
Cyrus Habib, Washington State Senator is running for the Washington State Lieutenant Governor and had Gavin Newsom join him at his campaign kickoff. If successful, Habib will become the first Iranian American to be elected to the position of Lieutenant Governor, the highest officer of a state after the Governor.
Habib grew up in Bellevue, Washington, and is a proud product of its public schools. Having lost his eyesight at age 8 to a rare form of childhood cancer, he learned early the importance of equal opportunity, hard work, and a quality education. After winning a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford, Habib attended Yale Law School, where he served as editor of the law review. He returned to Washington following his graduation, and worked at the Seattle-based law firm of Perkins Coie. In 2014, Habib was elected with 65% of the vote to represent the 48th Legislative District in the Washington State Senate. Immediately after his election to the State Senate, Habib was elected Senate Democratic Whip by his fellow Democrats, placing him in one of the top leadership positions in the State Senate. Prior to his 2014 election, Habib served as Representative for Washington's 48th House Legislative District.
During his tenures in the state legislature, Habib has sponsored and helped pass many pieces of legislation, including a 2015 Nowruz resolution which underscores the spirit of Nowruz shared by millions across the globe, including the tens of thousands of Iranian American residents in Washington State.
State of Tennessee
Melody Shekari a 28-year-old lawyer and first generation Iranian American, is the Democratic nominee for the 3rd U.S. Congressional District of Tennessee. Winning by a landslide in the Democratic primary, Shekari will face Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) in the general election. Her campaign has been endorsed byThe Chattanooga Times, stating that "...she has the policy know-how and solutions maturity that our current congressman sorely lacks." After receiving her undergraduate, Masters in Public Administration, and law degrees, Shekari returned home to serve her community. She has held positions in business, government and the non-profit sector. Before running for Congress, she served as a policy fellow for the Mayor of Chattanooga.
UPDATE, State of New York
Judge Sabrina Kraus, a first generation American of Persian-Jewish descent, is a candidate for New York City Civil Court Judge District 6. Kraus was the victor in the September Democratic primary election and is running unopposed in the November general election. Her campaign is endorsed by two of the three Democratic clubs that cover the 76th Assembly District of New York as well as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-12th/NY). Kraus began her career as a litigator, specializing in Real Estate Litigation. She was a partner at two prestigious law firms in Manhattan, and, after nearly fifteen years in private practice, was appointed in 2006 to the Housing Court. An active member of the legal community, Kraus was elected by her colleagues as President of the Housing Court Judges Association in 2010.
Related to Iranian Americans
- Ailes Accused of Sexually Harassing Iranian American Journalist Rudi Bakhtiar
- Obama and Andy at Ferial Govashiri's Wedding (Video)
- Iranian American Lawyers, a Statistical Report
- US dollar bills found among donations to small religious mausoleum in remote Iranian town
- Persian Square sign posted on busy California highway
- US State Department appoints Iranian American as Persian spokesperson
- US Appeals Court rules in favor of Iran's Alavi Foundation
- Southern California vintage winery is inspired by Persian culture (video)
- Iranian Americans cheer wrestling Champions in Los Angeles (video highlights)
- Jimmy Vestvood (Maz Jobrani) excels at box office
- Iranian Wrestlers in Time Square and Los Angeles, Wrestling Diplomacy Continues
- First Iranian-American woman elected to National Academy of Sciences
- Meet Iranian American candidates for 2016 elections: New York, California, Washington
- Iranian Studies, Omar Khayyam statue unveiled at Oklahoma University
- Iranian-American confirmed as US Ambassador to Sweden, Despite Cruz
