Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s sister launches congressional bid in Oregon
By Kaanita Iyer, CNN
(CNN) — Susheela Jayapal has launched a bid to join her sister, progressive Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, in Congress.
A former county commissioner in Oregon, Jayapal announced Wednesday that she is looking to succeed Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who said earlier this week that he will not seek reelection to the state’s 3rd Congressional District.
“We need a progressive champion in Washington to carry on Congressman Blumenauer’s legacy, stand up to MAGA ideologues, and get things done for our community, without compromising our values,” Jayapal said in a post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
The district, which includes parts of Portland, is a Democratic stronghold. Blumenauer, who was first elected in 1996, won a 14th full term last year with nearly 70% of the vote.
Jayapal, who resigned from the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, is a lawyer who has worked as general counsel for Adidas America and served as a board member for the local Planned Parenthood chapter, according to her campaign website.
She is seeking to establish herself as a progressive in this race, much like her sister, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Jayapal’s top issues include abortion rights, gun safety and climate change, according to her campaign, and she has announced that she will not accept corporate money.
Jayapal is “committed to ensuring America lives up to its promise of opportunity for all, with no community left behind; and to the vision of a country that we can be proud to leave to our children and our grandchildren,” her campaign website reads.
Pramila Jayapal has endorsed her sister’s bid and called for grassroots donors to support her campaign.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
