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Sameena Mustafa
Sameena Mustafa (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 5th Congressional District. She lost in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2018.
Biography
Mustafa has worked in business, nonprofit, and the arts, according to a Chicago Sun-Times interview. Prior to the 2018 election she had spent 13 years in real estate as a tenant advocate. She also managed a Planned Parenthood clinic. Mustafa graduated from Northwestern University.[1]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Illinois District 5
Incumbent Mike Quigley defeated Tom Hanson in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Quigley (D) | 76.7 | 213,992 |
 | Tom Hanson (R) | 23.3 | 65,134 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 5 | ||
| Total votes: 279,131 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 5
Incumbent Mike Quigley defeated Sameena Mustafa, Benjamin Thomas Wolf, and Steve Schwartzberg in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 5 on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Quigley | 62.5 | 66,254 |
 | Sameena Mustafa | 24.1 | 25,591 | |
 | Benjamin Thomas Wolf | 9.5 | 10,032 | |
 | Steve Schwartzberg | 4.0 | 4,196 | |
| Total votes: 106,073 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 5
Tom Hanson advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 5 on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Hanson | 100.0 | 18,837 |
| Total votes: 18,837 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
The table below details the campaign finance reports of candidates in this race who had raised at least $10,000 as of February 14, 2018.
Endorsements
| Democratic primary endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Mustafa[2] | Quigley[3] | Schwartzberg[4] |
| Federal officials | |||
| Tammy Duckworth, U.S. senator | ✔ | ||
| Dick Durbin, U.S. senator | ✔ | ||
| Jan Schakowsky, U.S. representative | ✔ | ||
| State figures | |||
| Susana Mendoza, Illinois state comptroller | ✔ | ||
| Heather Steans, Illinois state senator | ✔ | ||
| Local figures | |||
| Bridget Gainer, Cook County commissioner | ✔ | ||
| John Arena, Chicago city alderman | ✔ | ||
| Ameya Pawar, Chicago city alderman | ✔ | ||
| Michele Smith, Chicago city alderwoman | ✔ | ||
| Organizations | |||
| Americans for Democratic Action | ✔ | ||
| Illinois AFL-CIO | ✔ | ||
| Illinois Association of Firefighters | ✔ | ||
| Illinois Berniecrats | ✔ | ||
| Illinois Citizen Action | ✔ | ||
| Illinois Planned Parenthood | ✔ | ||
| Illinois Sierra Club | ✔ | ||
| Illinois State Council SEIU | ✔ | ||
| Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organization | ✔ | ||
| Justice Democrats | ✔ | ||
| Northside Democracy for America | ✔ | ||
| Social Democrats, USA | ✔ | ||
| Media outlets | |||
| Chicago Sun-Times[5] | ✔ | ||
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Sameena Mustafa participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on March 6, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Sameena Mustafa's responses follow below.[6]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1) Healthcare: Passing Medicare for All and protecting a woman’s right to choose. 2) Economic Justice: Enacting a $15/hr federal living wage, pay equity (such as the Paycheck Fairness Act), expanding Social Security, progressive taxation that would force the wealthiest and corporations to pay their fair share, and campaign finance reform that would get big money out of politics. |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | I have devoted my adult life to advocating for underrepresented communities and to helping good people do good things. Whether vocally protesting discrimination or giving a platform to those whose stories should be heard, whether providing healthcare services to women or securing affordable office space for community nonprofits, I have always been motivated to act on issues of social and economic justice. When I was an undergraduate at Northwestern University, I co-founded a feminist literary journal, marched against the Iraq War, and performed civil disobedience with LGBTQ organizations to protest firings at Cracker Barrel. After college, I managed a Planned Parenthood clinic, where I saw firsthand the urgency of the need to fix our healthcare system and protect a woman’s right to choose. In 2004, I joined a woman-owned real estate firm where I developed a practice advising nonprofits, schools, and small businesses. While I worked in a deal-driven business, I pursued clients whose mission aligned with my own: to help good people do good things. In 2014, I began writing and performing comedy and founded an organization to give women of color in the comedy community the skills and resources needed to be competitive. My activism, creative and professional work, and decision to run for office have all stemmed from my passion for social and economic justice and my desire to stand up for what is right. Medicare for All. Protecting a woman’s right to choose. Fighting discrimination against LGBTQ, immigrant, and minority communities. Taking on big corporations and financial institutions to create a more just and inclusive society. Providing people with the opportunities and resources needed to not just survive but to make meaningful, enduring contributions to our communities and to our country.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[8]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Sameena Mustafa answered the following:
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
| “ | I was 12 when Harold Washington was elected Mayor of Chicago. I was old enough to grasp the importance of his election and looked forward to seeing how the city would evolve to reflect his inclusive and progressive vision. I could not have known then how enduring his legacy would be and how it would shape leaders, like Barack Obama, to this day. Although the Machine politics of the past have not been entirely eradicated, those whom Harold Washington inspired have not given up and continue to do the hard work of making Chicago a more just, inclusive, and democratic community. Thirty-five years later, Harold Washington and his legacy serve as reminders that radical change in Chicago is possible. We owe it to both the brave leaders who came before us and the young people growing up in Chicago today to continue to push toward a more progressive society.[8] | ” |
| “ | Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. For too long our healthcare has been controlled by health insurance and pharmaceutical companies who put profits over people. As a former manager of a Planned Parenthood, I am the only candidate in the race with direct healthcare experience in a federally-funded clinic. I firmly believe in creating a fair and equitable healthcare system for all Americans, regardless of income. That is why I support Medicare for All. Mike Quigley does not. Income Inequality The income and wealth gap in the United States is unlike that of any country in the developed world. In order for our economy to work for every American, we need representatives in Congress who have demonstrated the willingness to take on big banks, say no to corporate PACs, and demand the wealthiest and corporations pay their fair share into the system meant to serve all Americans. Mike Quigley has resisted supporting low-wage workers and working with Progressives on the Fight for $15, and he has pushed for corporate tax cuts, like those in the GOP Tax Plan. Mike Quigley has received millions in donations from corporate PACs and special interests, including big banks, defense contractors, insurance companies and Big Tobacco. I am refusing donations from corporate PACs. I can and will fight for a federal living wage, equal pay for equal work, social security expansion, regulating too-big-to-fail banks, a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and the enactment of progressive taxation to force corporations and the wealthiest to pay their fair share. Gun Control The NRA is holding Congress hostage. Banning assault weapons and bump stocks, implementing background checks, prohibiting gun sales to those convicted of domestic violence, and creating a national gun registry have broad bipartisan support, and I will stand up to the NRA on these issues. However, we must also hold the gun industry accountable for their role in the deaths of Americans and pursue litigation. I support the repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. It is estimated that the annual cost of gun violence in America exceeds $200 billion. I would support legislation to create a fund from gun manufacturing profits to compensate gun violence victims and institutions where gun violence occurs. Any discussion of gun control laws must also address criminal justice reform. The United States has the world’s largest prison population and one in which people of color are disproportionately represented. Democrats like Mike Quigley have failed to advance a progressive agenda on criminal justice. He did not co-sponsor the 2015 Justice Is Not for Sale Act (HR 3543) and waited months to add his name to the latest version, HR 3227. He voted with Republicans and against progressive Democrats to support HR 115, the Thin Blue Line Act, which civil rights groups like the ACLU and NAACP consider anti-Black Lives Matter legislation. If elected, I would take a proactive, progressive approach to addressing systematic incarceration.[8] | ” |
| “ | I am inspired by and stand in solidarity with many tireless advocates and trailblazers. One of whom is Pramila Jayapal, a current Congresswoman representing the state of Washington. She is the first female congresswoman to represent her district and first Asian American to represent Washington in Congress. But more importantly, she has been a strong voice for immigration reform, environmental protection, resisting Donald Trump, advancing women and people of color, and supporting Medicare for all. It would truly be an honor and a privilege to work alongside her in Congress to advance a shared progressive agenda.[8] | ” |
| “ | Since we launched our campaign, we hear countless stories from people in the community who remind us of what’s at stake in the Democratic Primary and who I’m fighting for. I spoke with a lung cancer survivor who has lived in the 5th District for 44 years. He came to Chicago from Mississippi where his grandmother was required to pay a poll tax. In honor of her memory, he never misses an election and this year, he is voting for me. I also spoke with a registered nurse of 40 years who cared for her aging parents and witnessed the devastating effects of private insurance companies, both professionally and personally. That’s why I am determined to pass Medicare for All. Lastly, we connected with a 73-year-old woman who was just granted citizenship. On March 20th, she will participate in her first U.S. election and is casting her first vote for me. Connecting with voters and learning about their lives, histories, struggles, and achievements is the most fulfilling part of my job. If elected, I will always be accessible to the community and will work to have a record that I stand on proudly.[8] | ” |
Ballotpedia survey responses
Mustafa stated the following about her political philosophy in a biographical submission to Ballotpedia:[9]
| “ | Sameena Mustafa is a native Chicagoan born to Muslim immigrants from India and has lived in the 5th District for 30 years. In Congress, Sameena will fight for economic justice, human rights and political reform to show that the 5th District stands for bold, progressive and inclusive leadership. She is refusing donations from special interests and corporate PACs, because she believes the people of the 5th District deserve a representative who is motivated to serve the community, not political insiders and special interests. Sameena’s priorities include reproductive choice for women; Medicare for All; pushing for a living wage and empowering workers; ensuring rights and protections for all people; providing a path to citizenship to immigrants regardless of status; fighting voter suppression; rolling back the systemic architecture of mass incarceration; revamping the corporate and individual tax system; campaign finance reform; combating climate change; and protecting net neutrality.[8] | ” |
Campaign website
Mustafa listed the following priorities on her website:
| “ |
MEDICARE FOR ALL Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. For too long our healthcare has been controlled by health insurance and pharmaceutical companies who put profits over people. As a former manager of a Planned Parenthood, I am the only candidate in the race with direct healthcare experience in a federally-funded clinic. I firmly believe in creating a fair and equitable healthcare system for all Americans, regardless of income. That is why I support Medicare for All. Mike Quigley has not. We must continue to defend the ACA from Republican efforts to dismantle the progress that has been made, but there is still work to be done. The current system leaves many Americans uninsured and is difficult for working families to navigate. And America cannot remain internationally competitive without a comprehensive healthcare system. I am a strong proponent of a woman’s right to choose and tireless advocate for providing women access to all reproductive health services without judgment or economic impediment. A woman’s right to choose is non-negotiable. ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL I will fight for 15. I believe all Americans deserve a living wage tied to the rate of inflation. I will fight for equal pay for equal work and to protect the human rights of all workers regardless of their gender, race or immigration status. I also support paid sick time, family leave and childcare coverage so that no American loses a job because they are ill, taking care of a family member, or raising a family. I will work for a more fair and equitable tax system that protects low- and middle-income earners and requires corporations and the wealthiest to pay their fair share in accordance with the Buffet Rule, ensuring no millionaire pays less in taxes than middle-class Americans. All trade agreements, including the TPP, must guarantee workers’ rights, human rights and protect our environment. They must also prevent more American jobs from leaving the country. The post-financial crisis safeguards are being dismantled. America cannot continue the cycle of letting corporations privatize the gains and socialize the losses. Unlike Mike Quigley, I support funding and enforcing the financial regulations of Dodd-Frank to protect the middle-class and hold predatory financial institutions accountable. EXPANDING SOCIAL SECURITY Social Security, one of our most vital government programs, is at risk of being completely underfunded for this and future generations. I will fight to protect our Social Security system by removing the cap on taxable income so that those that earn more, pay more into the Social Security system. Currently, the taxable-maximum amount for 2018, based on wage data, is $128,400. The wealthiest Americans therefore pay a small amount of their income into Social Security. Social Security benefits must also be expanded so that surviving spouses and caregivers who leave paid work to care for elderly family don’t face cuts in Social Security income. The failing health or loss of a loved one shouldn’t force American families into financial insecurity. We must enact legislation that will protect our most vulnerable citizens so that they too can retire with dignity. I will work to ensure cost of living adjustments (COLA) are expanded and protected for our seniors, particularly lifetime low-wage earners, and senior women, who are most vulnerable in facing the rising cost of living in America. I would support and cosponsor The Social Security Expansion Act (HR 1114) and The Social Security Fairness Act (HR 1205), which would expand Social Security benefits and repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision and increase OASDI benefits. Mike Quigley has not co-sponsored either of these bills.
I will defend the rights of all Americans. Bans and discriminatory behavior against anyone regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, or immigration status are in direct opposition to the American ideals that this country was founded upon. I will fight to protect the rights of all LGBTQIA individuals. I oppose any legislation that allows employers or business owners to discriminate against Americans based on their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity under the guise of religious freedom laws. I will work on behalf of the transgender community to protect their rights to access public facilities, to receive comprehensive health services, and to serve in the military. I support the Paycheck Fairness Act and will fight to ensure equal work receives equal pay. Furthermore, everyone, no matter their gender or sexual orientation should be able to participate in the workforce without fear of harassment or abuse. I support the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Time’s Up HUMANE IMMIGRATION REFORM Those who contribute to our economy and community, who have come to America to escape economic hardship and discrimination, should have access to the AmericanDream and be able to live, work and learn in our nation without fear. I support the passage of a clean DREAM Act to protect 800,000 DACA recipients, and expanding DACA and DAPA. The 11 million undocumented individuals in America should also be given the opportunity for a path to citizenship. I support the creation of an independent oversight commission for detention centers that would ensure that the rights of all immigrants are protected. Following human rights protocols, we should ban the separation of families at borders. The methods by which ICE gains entry to homes, schools, churches, and hospitals must end and the human rights and dignity of immigrants and their families must be protected. Immigrants must also have access to the criminal justice system and be given due process. I will vote to demand more accountability for border patrol (HR 1608), to keep ICE from seizing young people at sensitive locations like schools (HR 1815), and to give deported veterans a chance to reenter the US legally (HR 1405). Congressman Quigley has not lent his support to these bills, but they would have my support if elected to be your representative. FAIR ELECTIONS & CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Unlike Mike Quigley, I am refusing donations from corporate PACs and special interest groups because we cannot effectively fix our economy or our democracy without addressing the influence of money in politics. We need to combat “dark money” and offer public financing to empower the next generation of leaders. I am leading by example. Citizens United must be reversed. I will advocate for a constitutional amendment to protect our democracy and address the corrosive effect of money in politics. It is necessary that a clean public financing system is implemented to end the disproportionate and degrading influence of corporations and billionaires on our elections. I will work to expose and address racially motivated voter suppression efforts. Gerrymandering, barriers to access, and purging of voter rolls result in unequal and unfair representation and are unconscionable civil rights violations. GUN CONTROL & CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM The NRA is holding Congress hostage. We need representatives to fight for the safety of all Americans. Banning assault weapons and bump stocks, implementing background checks, prohibiting gun sales to those convicted of domestic violence, and creating a national gun registry have broad bipartisan support, and I will stand up to the NRA on these issues. However, we must also hold the gun industry accountable for their role in the deaths of Americans and pursue litigation. I support the repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. It is estimated that the annual cost of gun violence in America exceeds $200 billion. I would support legislation to create a fund from gun manufacturing profits to compensate gun violence victims and institutions where gun violence occurs. Any discussion of gun control laws must also address criminal justice reform. The United States has the world’s largest prison population and one in which people of color are disproportionately represented. Democrats like Mike Quigley have failed to advance a progressive agenda on criminal justice. He did not co-sponsor the 2015 Justice Is Not for Sale Act (HR 3543) proposed by Raul Grijalva, and waited months to add his name to the latest version, HR 3227. He voted with Republicans and against progressive Democrats to support HR 115, the Thin Blue Line Act, which civil rights groups like the ACLU and NAACP consider anti-Black Lives Matter legislation. If elected, I would take a proactive, progressive approach to addressing systematic incarceration. LEGALIZING CANNABIS Cannabis is currently listed as a Schedule 1 substance in the same class as heroin and LSD, but more and more states are moving to downgrade the classification to move cannabis to legal status. I will work to enact this change at the federal level, which would provide much-needed tax revenue and boost entrepreneurship. I will also push for restorative justice measures to address and repair the devastation the drug war has imposed on communities of color. I support the expungement of convictions, no matter how old, and community reinvestment initiatives laid out in The Marijuana Justice Act (HR 4815). Mike Quigley has not co-sponsored this bill.
We must work to follow the plan set forth by the Paris Climate Accord. Climate change is one of the greatest threats the world faces today, and it is within the national security interests of the United States to aggressively address this issue. I would join progressive leaders like Jan Schakowsky in co-sponsoring and vote for HR 3671 OFF Act (Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act), the strongest climate legislation ever introduced in Congress, and not co-sponsored by Quigley. The OFF Act calls for a complete decarbonization of our energy sources by 2035, with all energy produced coming from renewable sources. The Act also calls for a complete moratorium on new fossil fuel projects, and a push towards 100% zero-emissions car sales by 2035. I will work toward the goal of making America a carbon-neutral energy state, implementing stricter efficiency regulations on transportation, reducing coal usage and investing in renewable energy. We must also work to remove tax subsidies that oil and gas companies have enjoyed for far too long, and reinvest in clean energy. I strongly believe that we must act in the strongest way now in order to protect and preserve our planet for future generations. PROTECTING NET NEUTRALITY A free and open internet where information is accessible to anyone, anywhere, is the foundation of a free and equal society. In 2015, the FCC voted to protect Net Neutrality, but under President Trump, Congress has rescinded those protections. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can now charge consumers more to throttle sites and content. This impacts not only consumers, but small businesses and entrepreneurs. I pledge to protect a free and open Internet and will support the Congressional Review Act to overturn the FCC’s decision and protect net neutrality. ENSURING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY I will stand up to President Trump to defend the civil liberties of all Americans, to end endless wars and fight domestic terrorism. I do not support denying Americans basic rights under the guise of national security. Mike Quigley joined 191 Republicans in voting to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows for “warrantless backdoor searches of Americans’ information.” The ACLU opposes this legislation, and I do too. While Americans struggle with the costs of college, healthcare and retirement, the majority of the U.S. government's discretionary budget is spent on military defense. My opponent Mike Quigley, a self described “security hawk," supported the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing $696 billion in defense spending, and gave Trump billions more than he even requested. Siding with Trump against the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Quigley voted in the interest of defense industry giants Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman from whom he received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. No one in Congress, especially Democrats, should empower Donald Trump to further destabilize our geopolitical environment and endanger our nation’s safety. I will fight the expansion and corporate profits of the military-industrial complex, protect the privacy rights of all Americans, and recommit to our American values by ending human rights violations within our own nation. Hate groups in America have carried out more attacks and caused more deaths than foreign terrorist groups. If elected, I will call a terrorist a terrorist, regardless of their race, religion or nationality, and I will work to protect Americans from the threat they pose to our safety both at home and abroad.[10][8] |
” |
| —Sameena Mustafa, 2018 | ||
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- Illinois' 5th Congressional District election, 2018
- Illinois' 5th Congressional District
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Sameena Mustafa," February 8, 2018
- ↑ Sameena Mustafa, "Endorsements," accessed February 14, 2018
- ↑ Mike Quigley for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 14, 2018
- ↑ Steve Schwartzberg for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 14, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "ENDORSEMENT: Mike Quigley for Congress in 5th District Democratic primary," February 13, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Sameena Mustafa's responses," March 6, 2018
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form on January 4, 2018
- ↑ Sameena for Congress, "Priorities," accessed March 8, 2018
