ArmenPAC Issues Its Endorsements in The 2006 Midterm Elections

PRESS RELEASE
ARMENPAC, The Armenian-American Political Action Committee
421 E. Airport Freeway, Suite 201
Irving, Texas 75220
Contact: Jason P. Capizzi, Esq.
Tel: (972) 635-5347
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: <; ARMENPAC ISSUES ITS ENDORSEMENTS IN THE 2006 MIDTERM ELECTIONS Be sure to visit <; to view your candidates' responses to the 2006 ARMENPAC Congressional Candidate Questionnaire before voting on Election Day Irving, TX - On Tuesday, November 7, 2006, citizens across the nation will cast their votes in the United States Congressional midterm elections. One third of the seats in the United States Senate (i.e., thirty-three (33) Class 1 seats), and all of the seats in the United States House of Representatives (i.e., four hundred thirty-five (435) seats) are up for election. Members of the United States Senate hold six-year terms, and if elected in the upcoming elections, will serve from January 3, 2007 through January 3, 2013. Members of the United States House of Representatives hold two-year terms, and if elected in the upcoming elections, will serve in the 110th Congress from January 3, 2007 through January 3, 2009. To execute Armenian goals, a legislative body comprised of leaders devoted to facilitating and supporting initiatives that benefit Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh is imperative. Of equal importance, ARMENPAC requires a strong foundation of Armenian-American supporters in order to maintain and advance a beneficial relationship between the United States and the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. In order to ensure a bright future for the people of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPAC holds true to the belief that knowledge is power, setting forth all efforts to educate itself, congressional candidates, and the Armenian-American community at large. Through its 2006 Congressional Candidate Questionnaire initiative, ARMENPAC was the first Armenian-American advocacy organization to educate all federal candidates who may otherwise be unfamiliar with the pressing issues that are important to Armenian-Americans, while simultaneously providing them with a forum to share their opinions on these fundamental issues. In its continued effort to raise awareness of, and advocate for, policies that help create peace, security and stability in the Caucasus region, ARMENPAC investigated the positions of all 1,944 candidates for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives on current issues of importance to the Armenian-American community. The results of this investigation serve to empower Armenian-American voters with the fundamental knowledge necessary to make an informed decision on Election Day. Armenian-American unity, despite bipartisan political beliefs, is guaranteed to assist the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Upon review of the positions of the nearly 400 survey respondents, as well as the established voting records of incumbent candidates, ARMENPAC has made an informed decision in considering which federal candidates have earned its endorsement in the upcoming elections. Notably, ARMENPAC received approximately 209 pledges to join the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in the United States House of Representatives, of which eight (8) were from nonmember incumbent candidates, i.e., Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), John Barrow (D-GA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Roscoe Bartlett, Jr. (R-MD), Timothy Bishop (D-NY), Chris Owens (D-NY), John Carter (R-TX), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). "ARMENPAC's advocacy initiatives, which are yielding positive results, are integral in building a bipartisan majority in support of Armenian-American issues, and must be supported by all members of the Armenian-American community," said ARMENPAC Co-Chairs Annie Totah and Edgar Hagopian. ARMENPAC is pleased to endorse the campaigns of the following candidates for the Unites States Senate: CALIFORNIA: Rick Renzi (R-1); MAIN: Olympia Snow (R); MARYLAND: Ben Cardin (D); MASSACHUSETTS: Edward Kennedy (D); MICHIGAN: Debbie Stabenow (D); NEW JERSEY: Robert Menendez (D); NEW YORK: Hillary Rodham Clinton (D); OHIO: Sherrod Brown (D); PENNSYLVANIA: Rick Santorum (R); RHODE ISLAND: Lincoln Chafee (R); VIRGINIA: George Allen (R); WASHINGTON: Maria Cantwell (D); WISCONSIN: Herb Kohl (D). ARMENPAC is pleased to endorse the campaigns of the following candidates for the Unites States House of Representatives: ARIZONA: Rick Renzi (R-1), Raul Grijalva (D-7); CALIFORNIA: Mike Thompson (D-1), Doris Matsui (D-5), Lynn Woolsey (D-6), George Miller (D-7), Nancy Pelosi (D-8), Barbara Lee (D-9), Ellen Tauscher (D-10), Fortney Pete Stark (D-13), Anna Eshoo (D-14), Michael Honda (D-15), Zoe Lofgren (D-16), Dennis Cardoza (D-18), George Radanovich (R-19), Jim Costa (D-20), Devin Nunes (R-21), William Thomas (R-22), Lois Capps (D-23), Elton Gallegly (R-24), Howard McKeon (R-25), David Dreier (R-26), Brad Sherman (D-27), Howard Berman (D-28), Adam Schiff (D-29), Henry Waxman (D-30), Xavier Becerra (D-31), Hilda Solis (D-32), Diane Watson (D-33), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-34), Grace Napolitano (D-38), Linda Sanchez (D-39), Edward Royce (R-40), Gary Miller (R-42), Joseph Baca (D-43), Loretta Sanchez (D-47), Darrell Issa (R-49), Bob Filner (D-51), Duncan Hunter (R-52), Susan Davis (D-53); COLORADO: Mark Udall (D-2); CONNECTICUT: John Larson (D-1), Robert Simmons (R-2), Rosa DeLauro (D-3), Christopher Shays (R-4), Nancy Johnson (R-5); DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Eleanor Norton (D-DL); FLORIDA: Michael Bilirakis (R-9), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-18), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-21), Clay Shaw (R-22), Tom Feeney (R-24); GEORGIA: Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-2), John Barrow (D-12); ILLINOIS: Bobby Rush (D-1), Jesse Jackson (D-2), Dan Lipinski (D-3), Luis Gutierrez (D-4), Danny Davis (D-7), Janice Schakowsky (D-9), Mark Steven Kirk (R-10), Jerry Weller (R-11), Jerry Costello (D-12), John Shimkus (R-19); INDIANA: Peter Visclosky (D-1), Mark Souder (R-3); KANSAS: Jerry Moran (R-1), Dennis Moore (D-3), Todd Tiahrt (R-4); KENTUCKY: Ben Chandler (D-6); LOUISIANA: Bobby Jindal (R-1); MAINE: Thomas Allen (D-1); MARYLAND: John Sarbanes (D-3), Albert Russell Wynn (D-4), Steny Hoyer (D-5), Roscoe Bartlett, Jr. (R-6), Christopher Van Hollen (D-8); MASSACHUSETTS: John Olver (D-1), Richard Neal (D-2), James McGovern (D-3), Barney Frank (D-4), Martin Meehan (D-5), John Tierney (D-6), Edward Markey (D-7), Michael Capuano (D-8), Stephen Lynch (D-9), William Delahunt (D-10); MICHIGAN: Vernon Ehlers (R-3), Dave Camp (R-4), Dale Kildee (D-5), Fred Upton (R-6), Michael Rogers (R-8), Joe Knollenberg (R-9), Candice Miller (R-10), Thaddeus McCotter (R-11), Sander Levin (D-12), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-13), John Conyers (D-14), John Dingell (D-15); MINNESOTA: Gil Gutknecht (R-1), Betty McCollum (D-4), Mark Kennedy (R-6), Collin Peterson (D-7); NEVADA: Shelley Berkley (D-1), Jon Porter (R-3); NEW HAMPSHIRE: Jeb Bradley (R-1), Charles Bass (R-2); NEW JERSEY: Robert Andrews (D-1), Frank LoBiondo (R-2), Jim Saxton (R-3), Christopher Smith (R-4), Scott Garrett (R-5), Frank Pallone (D-6), Mike Ferguson (R-7), Bill Pascrell (D-8), Steven Rothman (D-9), Donald Payne (D-10), Rush Holt (D-12), Albio Sires (D-13); NEW YORK: Timothy H. Bishop (D-1), Steve Israel (D-2), Carolyn McCarthy (D-4), Gary Ackerman (D-5), Joseph Crowley (D-7), Anthony Weiner (D-9), Chris Owens (D-11), Nydia Velazquez (D-12), Carolyn Maloney (D-14), Charles Rangel (D-15), Eliot Engel (D-17), Nita Lowey (D-18), Michael McNulty (D-21), Maurice Hinchey (D-22); OHIO: Ted Strickland (D-6), Marcy Kaptur (D-9), Dennis Kucinich (D-10), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-11), Steven LaTourette (R-14); OREGON: Earl Blumenauer (D-3), Darlene Hooley (D-5); PENNSYLVANIA: Chaka Fattah (D-2), Phil English (R-3), Melissa Hart (R-4), Jim Gerlach (R-6), Curt Weldon (R-7), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-8), Allyson Schwartz (D-13), Michael Doyle (D-14), Charles Dent (R-15), Joseph Pitts (R-16), Tim Holden (D-17); RHODE ISLAND: Patrick Kennedy (D-1), James Langevin (D-2); SOUTH CAROLINA: Joe Wilson (R-2); SOUTH DAKOTA: Stephanie Herseth (D-At Large); TEXAS: Kenny Marchant (R-24), Lloyd Doggett (D-25), Eddie Johnson (D-30), John Carter (R-31); VIRGINIA: Eric Cantor (R-7), James Moran (D-8); WASHINGTON: Jim McDermott (D-7), Adam Smith (D-9); WISCONSIN: Paul Ryan (R-1), Tammy Baldwin (D-2). "It is imperative to the success of ARMENPAC's advocacy efforts that every eligible member of the Armenian-American community exercises his/her right to vote. The right to vote is a primary aspect of democratic governments, and ARMENPAC urges all Armenian-American's visit <; before doing so on November 7, 2006 to review their candidates' responses to the 2006 ARMENPAC Congressional Candidate Questionnaire," said ARMENPAC Co-Chairs Annie Totah and Edgar Hagopian. ARMENPAC is an independent, bipartisan political action committee with a nationwide membership. ARMENPAC raises awareness of, and advocates for, policies that help create peace, security and stability in the Caucasus region, while providing financial support to federal officeholders, candidates, political action committees and organizations that actively support issues of importance to Armenian-Americans. For more information and how to join ARMENPAC, please call (877) 286-1046 or visit <; . ###