Shervin Aazami is running to be the first Iranian-American Democrat to serve in the House of Representatives. This is more than a political campaign – this is a people-powered, progressive movement. With your help, we can take this movement to Washington to bring real change to CA-32.

John

As of June 15, the LA County Registrar is showing that we will not be advancing out of our primary race here in CA32. Unlike most states, California does not have separate partisan primaries - we have a system whereby the top two vote-earning candidates advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. We are currently trailing two Republican challengers, both of whom are running on anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ+, and pro-NRA platforms.

A few days before the primary I tweeted about how the incumbent, Rep. Brad Sherman (D), sent mailers to registered Republicans and conservative independents as a way of animating GOP turnout in our primary. He did it because a straw poll of our district conducted only three weeks before the primary, on May 13, showed us in 2nd place with 24% of the vote. The thought of having to face us in the general election terrified him, and he retaliated by ginning up Republican turnout. What’s even more shocking is that Brad’s campaign didn’t even consider how this ploy likely boosted turnout for billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, an anti-choice and lifelong Republican who switched parties to run for Mayor of Los Angeles.

We know these corrupt tricks are how the establishment protects bad incumbents from progressive challengers like us. Unfortunately, Brad’s tactic galvanized GOP voters to head to the polls in record numbers, getting a combined 30% of the vote between them.

While at least 20,000 votes remain uncounted and potentially more, our campaign recognizes that the hill to climb back to 2nd place remains steep.

But regardless of the outcome, I seriously could not be more proud of our exceptional team. We ran a principled, unapologetic campaign focused on the very issues Rep. Sherman has ignored for decades - lack of affordable housing, rising poverty and houselessness, inaccessible childcare and healthcare, and a worsening climate crisis. We exposed how the military-industrial complex - which Rep. Sherman has always represented - has led to environmental disasters in the Valley and drained countless resources away from education, housing, and other programs our CA32 community deserves. We made the Green New Deal and Medicare for All centerpieces of our platform and messaging, and we forced Rep. Sherman to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own personal money on his campaign trying to paint himself as a progressive.

We earned nearly three dozen local and national endorsements from progressive organizations, individual leaders, and delegates. We raised nearly $300,000 without taking a dime of corporate PAC money or donations from fossil fuel executives, law enforcement, real estate developers, or insurance/pharma executives. Combined efforts across our Field Team, mass texts and mailers, and digital advertising reached nearly 217,000 CA32 voters. We accomplished all of this as a first-time grassroots campaign while the establishment actively worked against us.

But the most rewarding part of this endeavor were the thousands of voters who thanked us for finally giving them someone to vote for, and for giving them a campaign to believe in. And John, that is the most important victory.

I am beyond grateful to every single person who chose to be a part of our campaign and this movement. Our work for housing and healthcare as human rights continue. Our work for climate justice and millions of living wage jobs carries on. And my advocacy for our community and our city is only getting started.

Myself and our team will be spending the next few weeks analyzing the data from our race so we can rebuild even stronger for next time. We will circle back with updates on next steps for the campaign and our efforts to hold power accountable. And in the meantime - we have LOTS of amazing progressive candidates to celebrate here in Los Angeles for making it through their primary races: from Kenneth Mejia running for City Controller to Eunisses Hernandez running for City Council District 1 to Hugo Soto-Martinez running in City Council District 13 to Angelica Duenas running for Congress in CA29.

The progressive movement is as strong as ever, and the work is only more urgent - we need to get these amazing candidates across the finish line in November and prevent our city from falling into the hands of a conservative billionaire like Caruso. As James Baldwin said, “Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.”

Onward!

Shervin Aazami
Democratic Candidate for CA-32