Asbarez writes that Greg Krikorian is running for a seat in the California legislature. If elected, he would represent the 43rd State Assembly District. “This district houses the largest Armenian population (recent immigrants, citizens, and registered voters) of any jurisdiction in the whole United States. If an Armenian is going to be elected anywhere, it’s here. More importantly, whether an Armenian or other qualified person gets elected or not is something that the Armenian community should have significant, if not definitive, say in.
Yet, that hasn’t been the case. Why that is so is a long story, that’s been told already, and will probably be retold. Right now, it’s more important to understand why Greg is the best candidate at this time for this district. The reasons are many. Equally significant is the fatally flawed nature of his opponent. But even those are stories for another day.
No candidate is perfect, and some may argue “well, what about…?” In the Armenian community, I suspect the biggest underlying concern on people’s minds will be “but I’m a Democrat, how can I vote for a Republican?” Setting aside other factors, and please be aware that I, too, am a Democrat, it’s time to say “fair’s fair” and vote for Greg. Why? Consider that over the past two decades, the lion’s share of candidates most amenable to our communities’ needs and concerns (whether the individuals were themselves Armenian or not) have tended to be Democrats. We have loudly insisted that our Republican compatriots suck-it-up and vote for them. Now, it’s our turn.