New York City— Today, Voice for Refuge Action Fund released its endorsements for the upcoming general elections. We are proud to endorse Heidi Campbell for the U.S. House of Representatives District 5 and Odessa Kelly for the U.S. House of Representatives District 7. 

“We need to elect leaders who will uphold America’s legacy of welcome and provide safety to those fleeing persecution, while also supporting newly-arrived refugees and new Americans as they become active members of our communities,” said Voice for Refuge Managing Director Mary Elizabeth Margolis.

“In the State Senate, Heidi Campbell has worked to oppose anti-refugee and anti-immigrant bills, while also cosponsoring the Workforce Expansion Bill, which enables immigrants with work permits to access professional and commercial licenses.”

“Odessa Kelly is a supporter of a robust refugee resettlement program and a vocal advocate for the rights of immigrants in her community.”

This is Voice for Refuge’s second round of endorsements in the 2022 elections, and the third time the 501c(4) organization has endorsed candidates for election. Voice for Refuge Action Fund specifically aims to endorse candidates based upon their stance on refugee issues. See all of our endorsements at www.voiceforrefuge.org/endorsements 

Candidates were endorsed based on their answers to questions about their support for refugee resettlement, their work on welcoming refugees and immigrants in their community, and their understanding of policies specific to their potential role as a Federal, State, or Local representative. An individual’s public statements and any applicable past actions were also assessed. 

The election is November 8th this year. Early voting begins in Tennessee on October 19th and ends November 3rd. 

Voice for Refuge is the first 501(c)4 organization created to advance pro-refugee policies at the national, state, and local level and to hold elected leaders accountable to upholding America’s legacy of welcome. Voice for Refuge is educating the public about the benefits of refugee resettlement, advocating for pro-refugee policies in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures, and increasing civic engagement among refugees through non-partisan voter education. Voice for Refuge will also promote the representation of refugees in government by supporting former refugees and pro-refugee candidates running for office.

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