Dear Friend,
We want to bring to your attention very important information:
On December 24, 2015, the Turkish Daily Sabah very proudly reported that the Turkish lobby is financing the campaign to defeat Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen from becoming the successor to United States Senator Barbara Mikulski, noting: “Van Hollen is a strong supporter of Armenian and Greek issues whereas Edwards is a member of the Turkish Caucus.”
They are right of course.
Chris Van Hollen has been a lifelong champion of Armenian issues, not just as ranking member on the House Budget Committee, Assistant Speaker, Congressman, or even in the Maryland Legislature. We knew Chris before he ever even thought about running for office, when he was a staffer on Capitol Hill. He fought for Armenians then, and has continued to do so throughout his career.
Now he needs our help, and the stakes are clear.
We are writing because it is critical that Armenians contribute to Congressman Van Hollen’s campaign to help ensure that he defeats Donna Edwards in the Democratic primary. Your contribution will go a long way towards not only electing Chris Van Hollen, a champion of Armenian issues, to the Senate, but also leaving the pro-Turkish, pro-Azerbaijani Donna Edwards out of Congress entirely.
While Chris has had a lead in the polls, he is locked in a tight race in the Democratic primary, and his opponent, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, is a member of the Turkish Caucus. The primary election in Maryland is in April and the winner will be the overwhelming favorite to win the general election in November, so the time to help is now. Not only is Chris the clear choice on Armenian issues, he is also by far the more effective member of Congress, as you can read in the Washington Post endorsement of him here and the follow-up here.
You can check Chris’s quiet but effective record: in the Maryland legislature, he was a driving force behind legislation which made Maryland the 17th state to declare April 24th a day of commemoration for the Armenian Genocide; since being elected to Congress in 2002, he has helped us on every issue every time he was asked and even when he was not. We witnessed in the late 1980s, when Nagorno Karabakh was on the verge of being erased. When we needed all the help we could get not only for the earthquake but also on the road to independence, Chris knew the right thing and did it without being asked.
One of the greatest rewards of living in a Democracy is to be able to cast your vote for whomever you choose. The Maryland primary election is on April 26th. Now it is our turn! Cast your ballot for a true friend of Armenians—Chris Van Hollen.
Thank you,
