NewDem Action Fund Endorses Three for Congress
WASHINGTON — The New Democrat Coalition Action Fund on Friday endorsed three for election to 118th Congress.
The fund, an offshoot of the largest ideological coalition in the House of Representatives, endorsed Quaye Quartey, who is running in California’s 27th Congressional District, Eddie Rodriguez, who is running in Texas’ 35th Congressional District, and Christina Bohannan, who is running in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District.
“Quaye, Eddie and Christina are exceptional candidates who share NewDems’ commitment to good governance and tangible results,” said NewDem Action Fund Chair Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill.
“We look for candidates who can win, who reflect our values and who will come to Congress to get things done, and these individuals have all three. We look forward to standing with them through November and beyond,” Schneider said.
Quaye Quartey
John Quaye Quartey II is the son of an immigrant, veteran, entrepreneur father.
Quartey’s father immigrated from Ghana to the United States, where he earned a college degree and worked as a chemist.
A product of California schools, Quartey excelled on and off the field. He earned a spot at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he played varsity football and ran track. Upon graduation, Quartey began his life-long dedication to public service and was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy.
Quartey served in combat in Kosovo and Iraq, while also supporting counterterrorism and cyberwarfare operations around the globe. Quaye spearheaded intelligence operations on five continents before serving as a military diplomat in France, and then Central Africa, where he commanded special forces to combat ISIS-inspired terrorists and protect American interests abroad.
Quaye retired from two decades of active-duty military service at the rank of commander. After he returned home to California, he enrolled in Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where he earned a master’s degree in business management.
According to a bio on the website of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Quartey also holds an M.S. in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a B.S. in political science from the U.S. Naval Academy.
Quaye lives in Santa Clarita, California, with his wife, Nancy, and their two children, ages nine and 11.
“I’m thrilled to earn the endorsement of the NewDem Action Fund,” he said. “If my 20 years of service in the U.S. Navy taught me anything, it’s that the mission must always come first.
“Right now, Americans need leaders who will put the needs of their constituents above all else, and I can’t wait to work hand-in-hand with fellow NewDems to advance an agenda that will prepare our workers for the 21st century economy, lower health care costs, and protect our democracy,” said Quartey. “I’m proud to count the NewDem Action Fund as an ally in my campaign to flip CA-27, and look forward to working closely with them to get the job done.”
Christina Bohannan
According to her campaign website, Christina Bohannan is “a mom, law professor, state representative and former engineer” who is running for Congress because she believes we need less bickering in Washington, and more working together — for a government that works for the people.”
The youngest of her parents’ three children, Bohannan grew up living in a trailer in a rural small town. When Bohannan was in high school, her father got sick with emphysema, and his health insurance was canceled, forcing her family to choose between paying for his medicine and paying for everything else.
Thanks to the support and guidance of strong public school teachers, student loans and scholarships, Bohannan became the first in her family to graduate college.
She worked her way through engineering school and then law school by picking oranges, cleaning trailers and working as an engineer.
Bohannan graduated first in her law school class and was editor-in-chief of the law review, and after graduation went on to clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
More than two decades ago, Bohannan was given a life-changing opportunity to move to Iowa and become a law professor at the University of Iowa.
At the University of Iowa’s College of Law, Bohannan teaches and writes in several areas of law, including teaching constitutional law, torts and intellectual property. She spent her career working on business innovation, capitalism and economic growth, and teaching young people about the importance of democracy in a country founded on the promise of freedom and equality.
In 2020, Bohannan made her run for office, defeating a 20-year incumbent to now represent District 85 in the Iowa House. During her time in the statehouse, Bohannan has worked to protect working families, look out for seniors, push for more investment in public schools and help Iowa families and small businesses recover from the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.
She worked with both parties to pass legislation to crack down on human trafficking and to address the often overlooked problem of elder abuse.
“I am honored by the NewDems’ endorsement because of our shared commitment to enhancing innovation, growing the economy and helping to create good jobs for all,” Bohannan said. “My district was the closest race in the country in 2020. As I have talked to people throughout the district, it is clear that people are focused on economic needs — good jobs, infrastructure, child care, and creating economic opportunity for small businesses and every Iowan. By focusing on these fundamentals, we can flip this seat from red to blue and help Democrats maintain a majority in the U.S. House.”
Eddie Rodriguez
Eddie Rodriguez was born and raised in McAllen, Texas, where his mother worked in the office of a middle school and his father was a technician for the USDA.
The first in his family to attend college, Rodriguez studied government at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and then at The University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 1995. He earned his law degree from the UT School of Law in 2008.
Rodriguez was first elected to the Texas Legislature in 2002 as the representative for District 51, serving Central, East and Southeast Austin, and Travis County.
Some of his proudest policy achievements include Homestead Preservation Districts, which expanded the national School Breakfast Program to feed an additional 700,000 hungry Texas children, and removing the cap on the number of dual-credit courses high school students can take to prepare them for college and the trades.
As policy chair for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Eddie played a key role in MALC’s fight against S.B. 4, a racial profiling bill, and he represented MALC when the Texas redistricting lawsuits came before the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2018.
In his role as chair of the Farm-to-Table Caucus, Eddie passed legislation including the Texas Cottage Food Law, Texas Farmers’ Market Bill and DSHS Better Communications Bill to support small farmers, ranchers and other food producers while increasing access to healthy, local food for all Texans.
He also serves in the House Women’s Caucus, the House Democratic Caucus and the Legislative Study Group.
In 2021, Eddie led the Democratic effort to stop right-wing suppression by spending 40 days in Washington, D.C., advocating for voting rights while denying Republicans the quorum they needed to pass the most regressive laws in generations.
Prior to elected service, Eddie worked as chief of staff to Democratic Rep. Glen Maxey (Texas’ first openly gay legislator) and served as executive director of the Travis County Democratic Party.
“I am excited and proud to be endorsed by the NewDem Action Fund,” Rodriguez said. “Throughout my 20 years of public service as a state representative, I have worked hard to fight for affordable housing, protecting voting rights and expanding education opportunities. In Congress, I look forward to working alongside the NewDems to continue to fight for working families.”
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue
