Sameena’s letter to the voters of 5th District
Dear Neighbor,
My name is Sameena Mustafa, and I’m a progressive Democrat running for Congress in the 5th District of Illinois, challenging the incumbent Mike Quigley. I am writing to tell you about my background, why I am running for Congress, and why I believe we deserve bolder, more progressive and inclusive leadership in our district.
This is a critical time in our nation’s history. We are facing great crises but, as you know from recent events, there is a surge of committed citizens responding to the greatest threats to our democracy and demanding better leadership on all levels of government.
Our district demands better leadership, too. People are shocked to learn how conservative our Congressman is on issues such as healthcare, Social Security and military spending. Despite this being one of the most progressive districts in the country, he receives millions of dollars from corporate PACS and special interest groups, and is ranked in the top 25% most conservative House Democrats in the country, as calculated by the analysts at FiveThirtyEight.com.
The people of our district want a representative in Washington who shares both their social and economic priorities, and who has the courage to lead on them. We don’t have one right now. That’s why I am running for Congress.
First, I’d like to tell you about myself and then explain what is at stake when you cast your vote on March 20th. (If you just want to hear about the issue differences, feel free to skip ahead.)
MY BACKGROUND
I was born in Evanston to Muslim immigrants from India — the third daughter of five. I grew up in Edgebrook, attended Chicago Public Schools, and graduated from Northwestern University.
I have lived in the district for over 30 years and spent my life working on behalf of women, girls, and marginalized groups.
Like many immigrants of their generation, my parents came to America seeking economic opportunity and security, and America welcomed them with open arms. My father arrived in America in 1962 and received his Master’s degree in structural engineering from Oklahoma State University. My mother joined him following her graduation from medical school.
My family lived in a modest apartment in Evanston with my paternal grandmother before my parents took jobs with the City of Chicago and we moved to Edgebrook. I attended Edgebrook Elementary, and then Regina Dominican: an all-girl Catholic school, where I was the only Muslim in a student body of over 1,000. To this day, one of the things I love most about Chicago is that its residents value our diversity and reject efforts to divide us.
I fully embraced activism when I was an undergraduate at Northwestern University. I co-founded a feminist literary journal. I marched against the Iraq War. I performed civil disobedience with LGBTQ organizations to protest firings at Cracker Barrel. My activism was fueled by my passion for justice and my willingness to take risks, to challenge the establishment, to stand up for what is right.
After college, I learned of a job opening at a nearby Planned Parenthood clinic and leapt at the chance to work in an environment where I could live my values. I was quickly promoted to run the clinic in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, and the experience reminds me of the work left to be done to fix our fragmented healthcare system, and to protect a woman’s right to choose.
In 2004, I joined a woman-owned real estate firm where I developed a practice advising nonprofits, schools, and small businesses. While I worked in a deal-driven business, I pursued clients whose mission aligned with my own — helping good people do good things — rather than simply close deal after deal. Nonprofit clients have sought out my services, trusting my ability to advocate and negotiate for them and appreciating my patience and perseverance.
In 2014, I began writing and performing comedy. I founded an organization to give women of color in the comedy community the skills and resources they needed to be competitive. I traveled to perform in Los Angeles, New York, and Portland. A comedy audience will never pretend or be polite; it was valuable preparation for running for and holding public office.
My decades of advocacy work in professional, volunteer, and creative circles have given me a diverse and invaluable set of experiences, insights, and relationships, all of which inform and guide me when I consider how I can best serve others. I feel privileged to have been given such great opportunities by our community, and thankful for the many opportunities I’ve had to give back.
WHY I’M RUNNING AGAINST MIKE QUIGLEY
The urgency of Donald Trump’s presidency turned my attention to our Congressman, Mike Quigley. Like most people in this district, I was shocked to learn Mike Quigley voted to increase national defense spending but did not support Medicare for All. His donors are big banks, defense contractors, and insurance companies. This doesn’t help us resist Trump and, far too often, the priorities of Mike Quigley and Donald Trump overlap. That is why I decided to run. We deserve better. We can do better.
In 2009, Mike Quigley became the next in a long line of 5th District Congressmen who come from the Chicago machine. Mike Quigley began his political career working for Bernie Hansen, one of the Aldermen who fought against progressive policies and reforms during the Harold Washington administration. In Congress, Mike Quigley refers to himself as a centrist and a hawk, and he often votes with the House Republicans. He has been a reliable supporter on some issues such as reproductive choice and LGBTQ rights, and those are issues where he and I agree. However, we disagree on far too much.
Mike Quigley and I disagree on healthcare, economic issues, privacy rights, campaign finance reform, and even military spending:
Healthcare: Mike Quigley has consistently opposed Medicare for All, which would control costs and give access to care to all Americans regardless of income. I will cosponsor the bill on my first day in office.
Social Security: Mike Quigley has refused to support expanding Social Security that would give seniors more generous cost of living adjustments. I would expand vital programs that enable seniors to retire with dignity.
Wages & Taxation: Mike Quigley resisted supporting low-wage workers and working with Progressives on the Fight for $15. He has pushed for corporate tax cuts, like those in the GOP Tax Plan. I have always supported a living wage, fighting for equal pay for equal work, and demanding that corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes.
Privacy rights: Most recently, Mike Quigley voted in support of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Section 702, which allows warrantless spying on Americans. This vote was so clearly against our national values, even some Republicans voted against it. I know better than to empower an unfit President. You can be certain that I would oppose it along with the ACLU and 40 other civil rights organizations.
Campaign finance reform: Mike Quigley has taken millions of dollars in donations from PACs, including from corporations like Altria (formerly Philip Morris), AT&T, Bank of America, BMO Bank, Comcast, Deloitte & Touche, Exelon, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and State Farm. I have not and will never take a corporate PAC contribution.
Military spending: Mike Quigley voted for the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, billions more than what Donald Trump was asking for, and has consistently voted with Republicans on military spending. I want to increase funding for healthcare, education, and Social Security.
Throughout this campaign, Mike Quigley has claimed that he is standing up to Donald Trump. However, Mike Quigley routinely votes with him. And, as I mentioned, our Congressman is ranked in the top 25% most conservative House Democrats in the country.
Mike Quigley implores Democrats to “lead from the middle” and says he is proud of his work with Republicans. Having a self-described centrist represent our district is not only contrary to our values, but is dangerous at a time when the “middle” has moved to the right and the Republican Party controls the discussion. Bipartisanship should never come at the cost of denying the American people fundamental rights. We need elected leaders who will champion a bold progressive agenda.
I have spent my career working with and fighting for local organizations that serve women, girls, and marginalized groups. I will fight just as hard for Medicare for All, a living wage, progressive taxation, and all the concerns of our community.
Since we launched this campaign last year, we have received support from thousands of people who have volunteered time, money, and public support. I am honored to have received endorsements nationally from Justice Democrats and Americans for Democratic Action and locally from Northside Democracy for America and IVI-IPO, one of the oldest good government organizations in Chicago. Our focus on the need for bold, progressive, and inclusive leadership resonates with the people, and we are building momentum every day.
We are going up against a well-funded incumbent. He will claim dozens of political endorsements. Our system is designed to favor incumbents and discourage political outsiders. The system needs to change. On March 20th, we can change it.
This campaign is powered by people like you. I hope you will join our movement. Please visit our campaign office at 4602 N. Western Avenue in Chicago or call us at 872–210–4930. To learn more about our campaign, you can go to our website, www.SameenaforCongress.com and contact us if you have any questions or want to get involved.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. With gratitude and a commitment to work for a better future for all, I humbly ask for your vote on March 20th. It would be an honor and a privilege to represent you in Congress.
Sameena Mustafa
