Lulu Seikaly, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Texas’s 3rd District, will be the first Arab-American Congresswoman from Texas if elected on November 3. The employment lawyer, who entered the race in October, running largely outside the party apparatus, is facing incumbent GOP Republican Van Taylor. Unseating Taylor will be an impressive feat as the steadily diversifying area that covers the suburbs north of Dallas and a large swath of Collin County has been reliably Republican in the past. Another reason a win by Seikaly, who faced trial attorney Sean McCaffity in a runoff on May 26, should be celebrated is that she has been campaigning and fundraising while managing a full-time job and student loan debt.
While soliciting votes, Seikaly has been focusing on women's rights and health, developing access to affordable health care and curbing gun violence. During her campaign, the 34-year-old, who is backed by the likes of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, Democrats with Disabilities and the “Dallas Morning News,” has also drummed up support against privatisation of public schools and a more humane immigration policy. The go-getter has put a lot of effort into reaching out to the district’s diverse immigrant and first-generation families too. Seikaly, whose given name is Helane, does not support Medicare for All, a mandatory buyback programme for various assault weapons or abolishing private insurance.
The lawyer who fights against employment harassment and discrimination is the daughter of Lebanese immigrants who fled to America 10 years after the civil war started. The Southern Methodist University graduate recently wrote an article in “Glamour,” touching on the recent devastating explosion that obliterated large parts of Beirut.
If you are looking for ways to help the people of Beirut after the tragedy that struck yesterday, the Lebanese Red Cross is in need of donations and support. https://t.co/iSgsPGeFlj
— Lulu Seikaly (@LuluForTexas) August 5, 2020
“My background as an American of Lebanese ancestry is not some meaningless extra notch on my belt. It is so important on several levels—from the small things like eating tabbouleh at Thanksgiving to the big things like my core beliefs and values,” Seikaly, who was encouraged to run by Texas progressive activist and 2018 congressional candidate Lillian Salerno, wrote. “My Lebanese-American heritage has taught me about caring for community and preserving the American dream for future generations. I want every single American to have the opportunity to succeed here just like my parents did. I am eager to be a strong voice and advocate not just for my constituents in their daily struggles, but for their hopes and dreams. I intend to represent them proudly and successfully, but always with an eye toward their brighter futures.”
