Marilyn Strickland announced today that Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Rising & Empowering (ASPIRE) PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), has endorsed her campaign to represent Washington’s 10th Congressional District. With this latest endorsement, Marilyn continues to build a diverse coalition of current and former elected officials, community leaders, labor unions, and national organizations committed to electing people of color.
Currently, there are a record 20 AAPI Members of Congress, including three U.S. Senators. If elected, Marilyn will be the first Korean-American woman to serve in Congress, and the first African-American from the Pacific Northwest. Her first place finish in the August 4 primary election and a recent survey of likely voters shows Marilyn with a strong lead and clear path to victory for November.
ASPIRE PAC was established to work for fair representation in the U.S. Congress by supporting and increasing the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) policymakers and federal candidates with large AAPI constituencies. ASPIRE PAC also offers a voice for the AAPI community and encourages active participation in the U.S. political process.
“As the proud daughter of a Korean mother, it is an honor to have the support of ASPIRE PAC and its members, who work every day to protect our middle class and create good jobs,” said Strickland. “I am looking forward to serving the people of the South Sound, helping our community rebuild and recover from this crisis, and making our economy stronger and more inclusive than ever before.”
“Marilyn is a proven leader with a record of standing up for families and leading communities out of economically challenging times, and I am so excited at the prospect of her being the first Korean-American woman elected to Congress. Marilyn understands the issues that matter to all of the AAPI community, and I know she will be an ally in the fight to stand up for America’s families. I look forward to working with Marilyn in Congress to build opportunity and improve the lives of all Americans,” said ASPIRE Chair Rep. Grace Meng.
Marilyn has a diverse and growing coalition of support for her campaign. Local leaders and organizations supporting Marilyn include:
- Former Washington State Representative and former 10th CD candidate, Kristine Reeves
- Former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
- Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Washington Governor Gary Locke
- Congressman Derek Kilmer, WA-06
- Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, WA-01
- Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma
- Don Anderson, Mayor of Lakewood
- Nancy Backus, Mayor of Auburn
- Dana Ralph, Mayor of Kent
- Former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice
- Washington State Senator Steve Hobbs
- Washington State Senator Jeannie Darnielle
- Washington State Representative Jake Fey
- Washington State Representative Melanie Morgan
- Former Pierce County Executive, John Ladenburg
- Former King County Executive and Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ron Sims
- Former President of The Evergreen State College Les Purce
- The Vietnamese Community of Tacoma Pierce County
- The Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective
- Laborers’ International Union of North America
- Washington State Association of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
- The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists – Puget Sound Chapter
- The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 612 and 302
- The Seafarers International Union
- The Sailors Union of the Pacific
- Thurston County Young Democrats
- 30th Legislative District Democrats
- 2nd Legislative District Democrats
National leaders and organizations supporting Marilyn include:
- The National Women’s Political Caucus
- House Majority Whip James Clyburn
- Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
- Congresswoman Maxine Waters
- Congressman Ted Lieu
- Congressman Ami Bera
- Congressman Pete Aguilar
- The Congressional Black Caucus PAC
- The Collective PAC
- The Higher Heights for America PAC
- CAPA21
- Asian-American Action Fund
- The AAPI Victory Fund
- The Korean-American Democratic Committee
- The Korean Americans for Organizing Fund
- Voter Protection Project
You can view the full list of endorsements here.