Congressional Candidates
Maryam Abolfazli, Candidate for United States Congress
With a background in serving under both the United Nations as well as the World Bank, Abolfazli touts her background in expanding global access to education, business development, and social entrepreneurship. Abolfazli has also navigated the tech industry and the nonprofit sector in numerous capacities. Her stated priorities on Capitol Hill, if elected to represent Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, include maintaining reproductive rights, pursuing gun safety, increasing affordability across all aspects of the economy, supporting veterans, improving healthcare access, protecting minorities and civil rights, and more.
Yassamin Ansari, Candidate for United States Congress
Ansari has served as Phoenix’s vice mayor and was the youngest woman elected to Phoenix’s City Council. Ansari’s stated priorities for Capitol Hill are reproductive rights, protecting voter rights, advancing plans to combat climate change, lowering costs for working families, supporting small businesses, and more.
Stephanie Bice, Incumbent Candidate for United States Congress
Bice is seeking re-election as the Representative for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional district. Assuming office in 2021, Stephanie has since served on the House Appropriations Committee, Committee on House Administration, and House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Bice’s primary issues of concern include fiscally conservative spending, supporting in-person learning for students, creating abundant and affordable energy sources, boosting defense and veterans, and more.
Anna Kaplan, Candidate for United States Congress
Kaplan is the first refugee and Iranian-American elected to New York’s State Senate, where her priorities included reproductive rights, gun safety, education and community programs, and fighting against hate crimes. If elected to represent New York’s 3rd congressional district. Kaplan’s stated goals are to bring these same priorities and more to Capitol Hill.
Preston Nouri, Candidate for United States Congress
A first-generation Iranian-American, Nouri has long-pursued a career in public service – from working with the Pittsburgh Department of City Planning to Erie County’s District Attorney to the House of Representatives to the State Department, and more. Nouri’s stated priorities for Capitol Hill, if elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 16th congressional district, include funding schools, expanding trade and union job access, supporting small businesses, pursuing a fair tax code, supporting veterans, maintaining reproductive freedom, and more.
Mayoral Candidates
Ahsha Safaí, Candidate for Mayor of San Francisco
After moving to the U.S. from Iran at 5 years old amid the 1979 revolution, Safaí and his family initially settled in Boston where he grew up and pursued his background in city planning. His work in San Francisco began working under former San Francisco mayors Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom. With experience in delivering critical resources to low-income communities and as a labor organizer, Safaí was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2016. As mayor, Safaí stated priorities include eradicating street homelessness, improving public safety, addressing mental health and addiction, and more.
Shahram Shariati, Candidate for Mayor of San Francisco
With a familial background in public service, Shariati has worked for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency for 10 years and San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office of Housing for 8 years, where he contributed to improved infrastructure as well as supporting homebuyers in pursuing affordable housing. His current bid for San Francisco mayor focuses on combating key issues impacting the city – including crime, persistent homelessness, inaccessible housing, barriers for small businesses, and government corruption.
State Representative Candidates
Darya Farivar, Incumbent Candidate for Washington District 46 Representative
Darya Farivar is seeking re-election as a State Representative for Washington’s 46th district. Since she was first elected in 2023, Farivar has been a leading voice calling for community safety, access to democracy, and healthcare reform. Serving as Vice Chair of the Civil Rights and Judiciary Committees, Farivar has progressed Washington state in its protection of reproductive rights, regulation of guns, and pursuit of police accountability.
Anna Eskamani, Incumbent Candidate for Florida District 42 Representative
Anna Eskamani, initially elected in 2018, was the first Iranian-American to be elected to any public office in the State of Florida. While serving Florida’s 42nd district, Eskamani has worked to ensure affordable housing and transportation, supported funding for Florida’s public schools, sponsored Florida’s renewable energy bill six years in a row, increased arts and culture funding throughout the state, and more.
Yara Zokaie, Candidate for Colorado District 52 Representative
A first-generation Iranian-American, Zokaie holds a degree in law as well as a masters in taxation, which together have paved her career in practicing tax law to represent individuals and small businesses against the IRS and the Colorado Department of Revenue. Currently, she serves as Chief Deputy Assessor for Larimer County in Colorado. If elected as State Representative for Colorado’s 52nd District, Zokaie’s stated priorities include pursuing more funding for Colorado public education, combating climate change, preserving reproductive rights, reforming the criminal justice system, creating a stronger path to citizenship for immigrants and refugees, and more.
City Council Candidates
Mitra Jalali, Incumbent Candidate for Saint Paul City Council
Jalali currently serves as the Council Member for Ward 4 in Saint Paul Minnesota, where she became the first Iranian-American elected official in the state in 2018. The proud daughter of immigrants from Iran and South Korea, Jalali is St. Paul City Council’s first renter and now a first-time homeowner, a former social studies teacher, community organizer and policy aide who has committed her entire life to public service. Jalali has made affordable housing and climate action key issues in her campaign and has supported thousands of new homes at all affordability levels across Ward 4 and Saint Paul, including a $74M investment in deeply affordable housing.
Alex Mohajer, Candidate for Irvine City Council District 2
Alex Mohajer has long-maintained a career in political activism – from serving as the first Iranian-American elected President of Stonewall Democrats to Vice President of Iranian American Democrats of California to receiving awards for his political writing. Mohajer’s stated priorities include creating affordable housing, preventing evictions that lead to homelessness, adequately funding public schools, supporting small businesses, implementing a single-payer healthcare model, combating climate change, and more.
District Attorney Candidates
Ryan Khojasteh, Candidate for San Francisco District Attorney
Ryan Khojasteh, a criminal prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney, seeks to continue pursuing a safer San Francisco as District Attorney by investing in a new approach to public safety. His stated priorities include bringing law enforcement and violence prevention teams to work together to meet their shared goals, focusing on prevention of crime, pursuing sensible juvenile justice, supporting victims, combating both drug addiction and drug dispersion, holding all parties in the criminal justice system accountable, and more.
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