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We Are Republicans

Posted on Wednesday June 23, 2004

Since they began immigrating to the United States over a century ago, Arab Americans have offered the Republican Party dedicated, dynamic leaders.

Spencer Abraham, currently Secretary of Energy, formerly represented Michigan in the U.S. Senate and served as co-chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 1991 to 1993. Abraham also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle. Mitch Daniels, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is currently running for Governor of Indiana. Dr. Elias Zerhouni is director of the National Institutes of Health and Dina Habib Powell is Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel.

Arab American Republicans have made public service a family tradition. John E. Sununu currently represents New Hampshire in the US Senate. His father, John H. Sununu, was Governor of the Granite State and served for four years as Chief of Staff to President George H.W. Bush. Ray LaHood is serving his fifth term as U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 18th district. He is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and is Chairman of the Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee. Congressman Darrell Issa joined the Arab American delegation in 2000 representing California’s 49th District and holds a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Several prominent Arab American attorneys have put their expertise to use in public service. Alex Azar currently serves as general counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services. Jeanine Ferris Pirro is the first woman to be elected Westchester County District Attorney. Henry Saad is currently a Michigan Court of Appeals Judge and was recently nominated to the US Court of Appeals. Randa Fahmy Hudome served as Counselor to Senator Spencer Abraham and then as associate deputy secretary at the Department of Energy through 2003. AAI co-founder and chairman George R. Salem was Solicitor of Labor under the second Reagan Administration and has served as national chair of the Arab American effort in five successive Republican campaigns.

Governor John H. Sununu, Sherine El-Abd, and AAI Chairman George Salem.

Arab American Republicans contribute not only to national politics, but are leaders in state and local government as well. Thomas Libbous represents Binghamton in the New York senate and New Jersey state senator Joseph Kyrillos is chairman of his state’s Republican party. Sherine El-Abd is a leader in New Jersey Republican politics serving for five years as the President of the Women’s GOP Club of Middlesex County. Another New Jersey leader is Hesham Mahmoud, who is Bergen County Republican Committeeman.

California is home to many active Arab American Republicans. From San Diego, Tom Nassif served in the Reagan Administration as Chief of Protocol, deputy assistant secretary of State for Near East and South Asian Affairs and was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. Also in San Diego, Arkan Somo is a member of the Californian State Republican Central Committee and City Clerk Charles Abdelnour pioneered the legislation to create the “all-mail ballot” which set a national precedent and earned him an international reputation in election law. Michael Farah from Orange County has been instrumental in gathering support in the business community for Republican candidates and in northern California, John Khamis organized the Arab American Republican Club of Silicon Valley.

In Michigan, with its notable Arab American demographic concentration, David Farhat is State Representative and Suzanne Sareini is a Councilwoman in the city of Dearborn. Nicola Hawatmeh is a newly elected Macomb County Commissioner and former State Senator Michael Bouchard is Sheriff of Oakland County. Dr. Yahya Basha is a member of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, and Yousif Ghafari is a member of the International Development Research Council and the Michigan Minority Business Development Council.

Arab Americans continue to be a dominant force in Connecticut Republican politics. David Cappiello serves as State Senator, William Hamzy and Selim Noujaim are State Representatives, and Dianne Yamin is a probate judge.

In the heart of the nation’s capital, Arab Americans have also made a mark in shaping local and national politics. Khaled Saffuri, founder of the Islamic Free Market Institute, continues to serve as an advisor to the Bush Administration, Nancy Yacoub was appointed to the Office of Women’s Affairs at the Department of State and Peter J. Tannous has taken a leading role in fundraising for Republican candidates. In Virginia, George Doumar and Jamil Shami are active in Republican elections and outreach and 2004 RNC delegate George Selim serves on the Arlington County Human Rights Commission.

Several Arab Americans are making bids to represent their communities in the U.S. House of Representatives. Charles Boustany is running in Louisiana’s seventh district and George Ajjan is waging a competitive campaign in New Jersey’s eighth.

No list of Arab American Republicans would be complete without former Oregon Governor Victor Atiyeh. Sam Zakhem was U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain and currently is a member of the Colorado Republican Nationalities Council. Michael Baroody, Executive Vice President of the National Association of Manufacturers, served as Deputy Assistant to the President under President George H.W. Bush. Ambassador Selwa Roosevelt was America’s longest-serving White House Chief of Protocol, serving seven-and-a-half years under President Reagan, and organizing the visits of over 1,000 world leaders.