The Greek-American Candidates for 2012 Congress Election

In the United States it is estimated there are as many as 3,000,000 people of Greek descent and the community has always avidly supported political candidates, including Philhellenes. This year, nine are running for Congress and are asking for your vote in the upcoming election which will take place on Nov. 6. Eight candidates are competing for the House of Representatives and one for the U.S. Senate.
Every two years, all 435 members of the House of Representatives must run for election or re-election, while 33 of the 100 U.S. Senate seats are being contested. While most of the attention is on the Presidential battle, the Greek-American community is also focused on the Congressional races, where members can make an impact on foreign policy issues. Philhellene candidates who have supported issues critical to Greece and Cyprus are also important to the community.
There had only been one person of Greek descent in the Senate, Olympia Snowe, a Republican from Maine, who is not seeking re-election, pinning the Diaspora’s hopes on Shelley Berkley, a Democratic Nevada Congresswoman, who is running for a Senate seat.
Three Greek-Americans are up for re-election to the Congress and there are three others whose ambition is to win for the first time. Incumbents Gus Bilirakis, a Florida Republican, and the Co-Chairman of the Parliamentary group for Greek Issues, John Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat and son of former U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes, and Niki Tsongas, widow of former U.S. Presidential candidate and former Senator Paul Tsongas, hope to stay in office. Tsongas is not of Greek origin but is in the Greek issue group as well.