Northridge resident, Rhoda Nazanin, announced her intention to run for Congress and represent California’s 25th Congressional District, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley, in the 2022 election.
Nazanin plans to challenge the seat currently held by Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, as a representative for CA-25, while simultaneously advocating for her values cultivated by her life as an immigrant to America.
“With great love for this country and passion to serve and to lead, I am running to represent the distinct voices of the community in District 25,” Nazanin wrote on her website. “As a proud citizen of the United States, It is my honor to serve my country as a leader in the U.S. Capitol.”
Nazanin immigrated to America at around eight years old after her father, a Christian Assyrian-Iranian pastor, received threats to have his church or home burned down, according to Nazanin.
The threats alongside police harassment and imprisonment happened as a result of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran when new sanctions were created that made evangelizing non-Christians a crime punishable by death.
“Eight years later, with the opportunity to preach without persecution, my parents decided to move us to the United States,” Nazanin wrote on her website. “Their bravery and decision to journey to the U.S. helped me understand at a very young age that this country truly represents the promise of opportunity and freedom for those willing to take a chance.”
See Related: Christy Smith Announces 2022 Run For Congress
Fully embracing a life of opportunity, Nazanin became the first in her family to be accepted into a four-year university, but ultimately made the difficult decision of dropping out to support her family after her father was diagnosed with cancer towards the end of her sophomore year, according to Nazanin.
“During this time, I felt called to follow in my father’s footsteps and carry on his legacy by studying Christian theology and becoming the first credentialed Iranian female pastor in the world by the Assemblies of God,” Nazanin said.
Nazanin since made the decision to step down from her pastoral role and return to university after struggling with her identity for years and eventually came out as a gay woman, according to Nazanin.
“For the last three years, I have worked for a nonprofit dedicated to promoting diversity, freedom and equality,” Nazanin said. “None of this would have been possible if my parents had not made the difficult decision to leave our lives behind in Iran and take a chance on this wonderful country so that their children could live authentic lives.”
If elected to represent the 25th District, which includes Santa Clarita, Nazanin’s top priorities would center around her values that:
- Access to medical care is a right, not a privilege.
- College should be made affordable.
- Climate change is a public safety issue.
- The promise of America should be preserved.
“When more than half a million Americans have died from the pandemic, it can feel like the government has failed to provide for the common defense and the promotion of general welfare,” Nazanin said on her website. “What gives me hope is the purpose of government that the Founders put first: ‘to form a more perfect union.’ That is what our elected officials are sworn to do, yet the current representation is not upholding that oath.”
Nazanin correlates this belief with a plethora of social injustices like police brutality and believes that with these issues “it can be hard to believe that we’ve established justice.”
“My lived experience as an immigrant, as the first in my family to graduate college, and as a queer woman of faith is clear evidence of how far America has come since its founding,” Nazanin said on her website. “These various identities are also a stark reminder of how far we have yet to go in order to build a government that represents us all. It is imperative that we elect leaders who will be a voice for good and who will protect the pathway for the American Dream.”
To get involved in Nazanin’s campaign, click here.
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com
KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
No comments:
Post a Comment