New York City— Today, Voice for Refuge Action Fund released its endorsements for the upcoming general elections. We are proud to endorse Joseph Yetter for the U.S. House of Representatives District 2, Representative Earl Blumenauer for the U.S. House of Representatives District 3, and Jamie Mcleod-Skinner for the U.S. House of Representatives District 5. We are also pleased to endorse State Senator Kayse Jama for Oregon State Senate District 24, Dr. Hai Pham for Oregon State House District 36, Daniel Nguyen for Oregon State House District 38, and State Representative Khanh Pham for Oregon State House District 46.

“We need to elect leaders who will uphold America’s legacy of welcome and provide safety to those fleeing persecution, while also supporting newly-arrived refugees and new Americans as they become active members of our communities,” said Voice for Refuge Managing Director Mary Elizabeth Margolis.

“Representation matters, which is why we are proud to endorse Oregon candidates who have lived refugee experience including Kayse Jama, Khanh Pham, Dr. Hai Pham, and Daniel Nguyen. These leaders have shown they are committed to building welcoming communities and supporting policies to strengthen support for refugee communities at the local level.”

“Rep. Blumenauer has been a champion for Afghan arrivals in the House, working to ensure these new neighbors can get permanent status in the U.S., as well as supporting a robust refugee resettlement program. Jamie Mcleod-Skinner is a staunch advocate for welcoming immigrants and refugees, while her opponent supports extremist anti-refugee rhetoric and policies. Joseph Yetter is a strong supporter of building welcoming communities, in contrast to his opponent”

This is Voice for Refuge’s second round of endorsements in the 2022 elections, and the third time the 501c(4) organization has endorsed candidates for election. Voice for Refuge Action Fund specifically aims to endorse candidates based upon their stance on refugee issues. See all of our endorsements at www.voiceforrefuge.org/endorsements 

Candidates were endorsed based on their answers to questions about their support for refugee resettlement, their work on welcoming refugees and immigrants in their community, and their understanding of policies specific to their potential role as a Federal, State, or Local representative. An individual’s public statements and any applicable past actions were also assessed. 

The election is November 8th this year. All registered Oregon voters can expect to have their ballot mailed to them by October 18th.

Voice for Refuge is the first 501(c)4 organization created to advance pro-refugee policies at the national, state, and local level and to hold elected leaders accountable to upholding America’s legacy of welcome. Voice for Refuge is educating the public about the benefits of refugee resettlement, advocating for pro-refugee policies in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures, and increasing civic engagement among refugees through non-partisan voter education. Voice for Refuge will also promote the representation of refugees in government by supporting former refugees and pro-refugee candidates running for office.

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