IAPAC, the bipartisan connected PAC of PAAIA, just announced our endorsement of two Iranian American candidates for Congress: Stephanie Bice and Shervin Aazami!

Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (R-OK) is the first Iranian American elected to Congress; she serves as the incumbent congresswoman representing Oklahoma’s 5th congressional district. In Congress, she is on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. 

In her short time in Congress, Bice has established herself as an effective legislator that can work in a bipartisan manner to get things accomplished. She is the main Republican Sponsor of Temporary Family Visitation Act (TFVA), PAAIA’s federal legislation which would make it easier for family members abroad to visit loved ones in the U.S.

Shervin Aazami (D-CA) is a public health professional running for Congress in Los Angeles (California’s 32nd congressional district). Born in Bologna, Italy, he is the son of two asylum seekers who fled religious persecution in Iran during the time of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. While in college, Shervin Aazami joined student groups advocating for climate justice issues such as toxic stormwater runoff. Most recently, he served as Director of Congressional Relations for National Indian Health Board, the country’s only national indigenous healthcare non-profit organization. 

Throughout his advocacy work on Capitol Hill, Aazami has maintained the belief that real change and real solutions require bold institutional reforms that directly serve working families. If elected, Shervin Aazami would serve as the second Iranian American in Congress, and the first from California.

IAPAC, the Iranian American Political Action Committee, supports viable Iranian American candidates for elected office at the local, state, and federal level. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to raise funds for their campaign and garner outside endorsements, amongst other measures. 

When Iranian Americans run for office, the political voice of our community grows stronger. We actively encourage Iranian Americans to vote, run for office, and participate in the American civic process. Learn more about IAPAC by visiting our newly updated website.

The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, PAAIA, Inc., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonreligious 501(c)(4) organization that serves the interests of Iranian Americans and represents the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large.