Local and national progressive political groups are backing Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam’s congressional run for the 6th District, narrowing the lanes in a crowded field.
On Friday, Working Families Party, Durham for All, and the Carolina Federation endorsed Allam’s campaign, noting her advocacy on local issues.
“Nida Allam will challenge the status quo and fight hard for working families in her district, and we’re thrilled to endorse her,” said Maurice Mitchell, national director for Working Families Party. “From speaking out against gentrification to supporting unions to calling for more funding for public education, Nida is a proven champion for working families in North Carolina.”
Allam, who vowed to take no corporate PAC money, recently announced she’d raised more than $300,000. That puts her squarely in the middle of the field, behind State Senator Wiley Nickel, who has amassed a more than $515,000 dollar war chest, and State Senator Valerie Foushee, who has raised only $162,000 but garnered endorsements from many state establishment Democrats. Among other top contenders is Clay Aiken, a former runner-up on American Idol who entered the race earlier this month.
The 6th Congressional District is shaping up to be one of, if not the most progressive district in the state, with a high concentration of Democratic voters from Durham, Chapel Hill, and a bordering section of Wake County. But new congressional district maps pending a ruling from the NC Supreme Court still have the potential to scramble the dynamics of the race.
Allam says she sees herself as the most progressive candidate in the race; she supports a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and protecting a woman’s right to choose. Should she win the primary, she’d make history as the first Muslim ever elected from a Southern state and the youngest woman ever elected to the House of Representatives.
“I’m so grateful to be endorsed by three important grassroots organizations committed to building power for working families in North Carolina,” Allam said. “Our campaign is about people coming together to fight corporate interests and deliver on the progressive policies that folks in NC-6 deserve.”
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