Indian-American Democrat Susheela Jayapal faced defeat in the Democratic Primary of Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District. She came in behind Oregon state Rep. Maxine Dexter, who emerged victorious winning 51 percent of the vote.
Dexter is set to become the Democratic nominee to replace the U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer. As the district is heavily democratic leaning it assures her a seat in Congress next year.
Reacting to the results in a statement, Susheela Jayapal congratulated Dexter and emphasized her pride in running a campaign based on integrity and a vision for justice.
"We were clear, from the beginning, that we were going to run a campaign based on values, and on our vision for the country and the district,” the sister of Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal said.
Susheela, a former county commissioner, highlighted her work on issues like reproductive rights, workers' wages, and climate change. Her campaign, endorsed by US Sen. Bernie Sanders and Reps. like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, was supported by over 5,600 grassroots donors, raising over $1 million.
Jayapal criticized the influence of super PACs in the election. "Outside super PACs came in and spent an unprecedented $6 million," she said, calling for campaign finance reform.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal in a post on X said, “This wasn’t the result our family was hoping for, but I know Susheela put everything on the line and ran a proudly progressive campaign rooted in people-power.”
I am so, so proud of my incredible sister @SusheelaJayapal.
— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) May 22, 2024
This wasn’t the result our family was hoping for, but I know Susheela put everything on the line and ran a proudly progressive campaign rooted in people-power. https://t.co/XaXutTpYDT
Oregon's 3rd congressional district, which includes most of Multnomah County, all of Hood River County, and part of Clackamas County, is a Democratic stronghold where Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-to-1. The primary featured three leading candidates—Jayapal, Dexter, and Morales—who were similar on many issues.
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