ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Jayapal kicks off 2026 re-election campaign in Seattle
Jayapal used the campaign launch to highlight grassroots organizing and her opposition to corporate PAC money.
-
Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 18, Jun 2026
- 12:18 EDT
- 62
Pramila Jayapal / X/ @PramilaJayapal
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal launched her 2026 re-election campaign on June 17, positioning her bid as part of a broader fight to protect democracy and advance progressive policies.
Speaking at a campaign kickoff event attended by hundreds of supporters in Seattle, the democrat said the election comes at a time of "deep uncertainty" and urged supporters to continue organizing and mobilizing voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Also Read: Jayapal announces re-election bid in Seattle
Dark money can't buy what was in the room at my 2026 campaign kick-off. Corporate PACs can't manufacture it.
— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) June 17, 2026
This is organized people power — and it's exactly what we're going to need to win. We're just getting started. pic.twitter.com/hzI3D5iedb
"In these moments of deep uncertainty, when there is darkness all around us threatening to overtake our democracy, it is the light that shines bright in rooms like this, in communities like this, across our district, that makes me so convinced that we will win," she said. "This is not just a launch for a campaign. We are here, literally, to guard the soul of our country."
A former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the first South Asian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Jayapal said organizing and political action were the answer to growing public frustration and fear.
"I believe organizing is the antidote to despair, and I believe that action is the antidote to fear. And I didn't come to Congress to despair. I came to fight," Jayapal told supporters.
There is nothing quite like looking out at a room full of people who showed up because they believe another future is possible—people who refuse to sit it out, refuse to give in to cynicism, and are ready to fight for the change our communities deserve.
— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) June 17, 2026
Workers. Organizers.… pic.twitter.com/Tl00k4X5vz
In social media posts following the event, Jayapal highlighted the turnout of workers, organizers, neighbors, first-time volunteers and longtime activists. She also reiterated her longstanding opposition to accepting corporate PAC contributions.
"I don't take corporate PAC money because I answer to the people in this room. Not to donors. Not to party bosses. To the people," she wrote.
Jayapal said her campaign would continue to reject corporate PAC money, dark money and billionaire influence while supporting progressive candidates across the country through her Medicare for All PAC.
"The energy at last night's campaign kickoff was electric," she wrote in a separate post, adding that hundreds of supporters attended because they believed the campaign had momentum heading into the 2026 election cycle.
"We are going to run a hell of a campaign. We're going to turn everybody out to vote, but this is about more than just me. This is about our democracy," she said.
Jayapal also tied her campaign to a broader progressive agenda, including Medicare for All, a higher minimum wage, collective bargaining rights, immigration reform, voting rights protections and LGBTQIA+ rights.
Closing the event, Jayapal thanked supporters for their commitment and urged them to continue organizing ahead of the midterm elections.
"Let's build this movement for justice and let's win," she said.
Jayapal has represented Washington's 7th Congressional District since 2017, a district that encompasses most of Seattle and surrounding communities. The district is among the most Democratic in the country and will hold its top-two primary election on August 4.
She is among several candidates competing under Washington state's top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election set for November.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login