On January 27, Kia Hamadanchy was commuting home after a brutal week on the hill when he heard the news: President Trump announced an executive order banning refugees and citizens of seven countries from entering the United States. One of the countries on the list was Iran.
Kia, the 31-year-old son of Iranian immigrants, describes his first reaction as “pure and complete shock”— a feeling that quickly turned into anger and frustration. “I couldn’t fathom the idea that my family, and families like my family, were being targeted in such a discriminatory and hateful way,” he says. “No Iranian has ever committed an act of terror in the United States, so Trump’s policy does not make us any safer. In fact, it does quite the opposite.” That night, Kia decided that enough was enough. He decided to run for Congress.
Kia quit his job with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and moved back home to Irvine, California. “Growing up, my parents worked day and night to establish their own small business to ensure that my sister and I had every opportunity in life,” he says. “They built a life for themselves in California and it didn’t matter where they were born or what their names were. That is the hope that brings immigrants from around the world to the United States, and that is what we must defend on the ballot in 2018.”
The seat Kia is hoping to fill is currently held by Mimi Walters, a Republican woman who has voted with Trump nearly 100% of the time. It is also worth noting that the district he is running in — California’s 45th Congressional District — is one that voted for Hillary Clinton by a margin of 5%. This is part of the reason why Kia is confident that he can win the election and turn the district blue.
“Beyond the travel ban, I am eager and excited to address issues like healthcare, education, and climate change,” Kia asserts. And he has the record to back it up. After earning his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Michigan, Kia chose a career in public service over a lucrative job in corporate law. “I have always been drawn to public service because I’m committed to ensuring that every single American is treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve.”
As legal counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee under the leadership of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Kia helped to expose the exploitation of students by the for-profit college industry. He later went on to work for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), where he advocated for higher minimum wage, equal pay for men and women, and other measures to reduce income inequality. Kia is certain that his six years of Congressional experience make him the most qualified candidate running in his district. Both Senators have endorsed his candidacy.
“If elected to Congress, I will build upon the work I started in the Senate,” Kia says. “I will fight for debt-free college so that every American has the opportunity to pursue higher education. I will ensure that the United States remains a leader in the fight against global climate change because clean air and water, more jobs, and increased national security are in all of our best interests. I will work to make sure that every man, woman, and child in America has access to affordable and quality healthcare— that’s why I support a single-payer healthcare system. I will address the fact that the United States is the only developed country in the world that does not provide workers with paid sick leave and paid family leave. I will advocate for smarter foreign policy that prioritizes diplomacy and peaceful conflict resolution over trillion dollar wars that put Americans in danger.”
Still, the path to victory will not be an easy one. Kia and his team spend their days working around the clock to mobilize constituents, raise funds, and spread the campaign messages far and wide. The primary will take place on June 5, 2018. While securing the nomination will certainly be a challenge, Kia says he will stop at nothing to make it happen.
“When I decided to run, I was told by friends and professionals that a person with the name Kia Hamadanchy could never be elected to anything, let alone to the U.S. Congress. But I tell anyone who says that I need to change my name that I reject that logic in a country where Barack Hussein Obama was elected President of the United States... twice.”
And Kia is doing just that— stepping up, fighting back, and taking leadership during a time in which we need it most.
To get involved or donate to the campaign, visit https://kiafororangecounty.com/, and follow Kia for Congress on social media.
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