THE Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) outreach director for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has left the campaign.
Lisa Changadveja, who was first appointed outreach director last August, is moving to Colorado to take a position with the Democratic Party, Clinton campaign spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa told NBC News.
“The campaign is expected to announce a new director of AAPI outreach very soon,” Hinojosa added.
Changadveja, who first joined Clinton’s campaign team in 2007 during her first presidential bid, broke the news in an email first dated March 18, according to Reuters.
The resignation comes two months after the Clinton campaign formed an AAPI leadership council, comprised of more than 150 elected officials and community leaders, who are tasked to organize support in AAPI communities.
Members of the AAPI leadership council include Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA.), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), and Democratic Representative Gregorio Sablan from the Northern Mariana Islands.
Both Democrats and Republicans have made great efforts in this year’s presidential race to court AAPI voters, who are notably the least active participants in past elections. The electorate is expected to double by 2040, rising to 12.2 million, according to a report last year from the UCLA Center for the Study of Inequality and Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.
“AAPI voters could play a key role in upcoming primaries and caucuses in states with sizeable AAPI communities, including Washington, New York and California. Asian Americans make up 5.4 percent of the U.S. population,” according to the US Census.
“Clinton’s track record of consistent flip-flops on the issues, and support of failed Democrat policies that continue to hurt AAPI communities are a clear indication Clinton is the wrong choice for AAPI voters across the country,” said Ninio Fetalvo, AAPI press secretary for the Republican National Committee (RNC).
Clinton targets Trump on Israel
Continuing on the campaign trail, Clinton spoke at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Monday, March 21, where she challenged Republican front-runner and real estate billionaire Donald Trump, without explicitly naming him.
“The next president will sit down at that desk and start making decisions that will affect both the lives and livelihoods of every American and the security of our friends around the world. So we have to get this right,” Clinton told a large crowd at the AIPAC, held at the Verizon Center in Washington. “Candidates for president who think the United States can outsource Middle East security to dictators or that America no longer has vital national interests at stake in this region are dangerously wrong.”
Trump’s impending speech at the conference was called a source of controversy, largely due to the businessman’s rhetoric singling out immigrants, and calling for a ban on Muslims entering the States, the Washington Post reported.
“Yes, we need steady hands, not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who knows what on Wednesday, because everything’s negotiable,” she added, saying that one of her first acts as president would be to invite the Israeli prime minister to the White House.
“Some things aren’t negotiable. And anyone who doesn’t understand that has no business being our president.”
Trump’s specific views on foreign policy have sparked nationwide debate. In the past, he has asserted he was the “most pro-Israel candidate,” but also said he would enter negotiations between Israel and Palestinians, framing himself as “somewhat neutral” in hopes of reaching a peaceful deal, reported the Los Angeles Times.
Clinton was the only Democrat candidate who spoke at AIPAC on Monday, but shared the stage with all three Republican candidates–Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Although it invited several big political figures to the event, the AIPAC did not endorse any one candidate.
“Let us never be neutral or silent in the face of bigotry,” Clinton said, finishing her speech as a campaign platform. “If you see bigotry, oppose it. If you see violence, condemn it. If you see a bully, stand up to him….Together let us defend the shared values that already make America and Israel great.” (Allyson Escobar / AJPress)
