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Zerqa Abid
Zerqa Abid (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 15th Congressional District. She lost in the Democratic primary on March 19, 2024.
Abid completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Zerqa Abid was born in Pakistan and lives in Grove City, Ohio. Abid earned a B.A. from the University of Karachi and also earned a degree, summa cum laude, from the Department of Communications at North Carolina State University in 2000. Abid's career experience includes working as a small business owner and nonprofit founder. Abid served as a commissioner on the Greater Hilltop Area Commission from 2017 to 2021.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Ohio's 15th Congressional District election, 2024
Ohio's 15th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)
Ohio's 15th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Ohio District 15
Incumbent Mike Carey defeated Adam Miller in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Carey (R) | 56.5 | 196,338 |
 | Adam Miller (D)  | 43.5 | 151,411 | |
| Total votes: 347,749 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15
Adam Miller defeated Zerqa Abid in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Adam Miller | 64.2 | 18,648 |
 | Zerqa Abid | 35.8 | 10,399 | |
| Total votes: 29,047 | |||
| = 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 Ohio District 15
Incumbent Mike Carey advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Carey | 100.0 | 51,073 |
| Total votes: 51,073 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Abid in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Zerqa Abid completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Abid's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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She has been serving the district for 16 years. In 2014, she repurposed her life after hearing about children being trafficked from Columbus to Minnesota and Tennessee. She started a non profit organization, MY Project USA, from her kitchen. That organization has now become a multi million organization with more than 50 staff. She has served more than 300,000 Ohioans and has saved thousands of children from hunger, drugs, gangs, violence, human trafficking and more. She has addressed poverty and unemployment by creating jobs and providing workforce development.
The impact of her pro bono work in the district is about $38 million.
She has received the national AARP Purpose Prize 2023 Award, the Benefit Mutual’s Philanthropist of the Year Award 2023, The Columbus Foundation’s Outstanding Philanthropist 2021 Award and Everyday Hero 2019 Award from the Dispatch Media Group for protecting and empowering youth against drugs and gang violence on the westside of Columbus. Columbus Alive had listed her on their 2018 People to Watch list. She was recently nominated for Smart Business’ 2023 Smart 50 Award.
She is a Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude graduate of North Carolina State University.- Zerqa Abid is the "Change" that Ohio is looking for! She is not a career politician. She is not a lobbyist bought by special interest dollars. She is not a party establishment candidate. She is a grassroots organizer with real knowledge of the challenges faced by everyday Ohioans. She has the will and experience to address those issues.
- Ohio's economy needs a boost. It needs someone with solid business experience. Zerqa Abid is a very successful Small Business Owner and an award-winning non-profit leader with solid experience in economic development, job creation and fiscal management.
- Ohio's families need help. Zerqa Abid has already helped more than 300,00 Ohioans and has saved thousands of children from hunger, drugs, gangs, violence, human trafficking and more. She has supported safe neighborhoods, created jobs and launched programs to protect and empower youth and their families.
In Washington, I will fight for social, economic and environmental justice. Public education, workforce development, employment, women’s reproductive rights, healthcare for all, common-sense gun control, fiscal accountability, building safe neighborhoods, transportation and infrastructure to boost rural economy, holistic immigration reforms, national security and a pro-justice foreign policy will be my top priorities.
I want to empower women with freedom - the freedom to control their own bodies, the freedom to make and run a business, or the freedom to pursue opportunities to thrive.
I will fight for livable wages. I will also advocate for accountability of taxpayer dollars to maximize our investment in building inclusive, safe and prosperous neighborhoods for ALL.
I am a mother, a grandmother, an anti-war activist and an anti-gun violence advocate. I always advocate for saving the lives of innocent people first. I strongly advocate for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in any and all cases that involve the lives of civilians. I will advocate to restrict funding and weapon sales to any foreign government or entity suspected of human rights violations and violations of international law. However, I will support funding for global health and nutrition programs, refugee and disaster assistance, etc.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Abid’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Foreign Policy and National Security
Zerqa is a mother, a grandmother, an anti-war activist and an anti-gun violence advocate. She always advocates for saving the lives of innocent people first. She strongly advocates for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in any and all cases that involve the lives of civilians. She will advocate to restrict funding and weapon sales to any foreign government or entity suspected of human rights violations and violations of international law. However, she will support funding for global health and nutrition programs, refugee and disaster assistance, etc. Economic Development
Zerqa is an experienced business executive focused on the economic development of all communities by creating innovative solutions. She has a track record of starting up international, national and local businesses from scratch and quickly turning them into profitable enterprises. Zerqa’s executive experience gives her an edge on thinking out of the box to bring all stakeholders to the same table to address the issues hindering the economic growth of families and communities. As a nonprofit leader for 16 years in Ohio, she has seen the impact of unemployment, lower wage and poverty in the district. She knows that in order to save our children and families, it’s imperative for us to improve the socio-economic situation of the district by bringing all parties together. Women Rights & Empowerment
Having been raised by a highly educated, powerful and independent mother and a very supportive father, Zerqa has a track record of uplifting and empowering women from all socio-economic backgrounds. Throughout her adult life she has been advocating for the equal rights of women. She is a fierce advocate and a very successful community organizer against domestic and family violence. In 2009, she launched a national initiative, Project Sakinah, to address domestic and family violence within the American Muslim community. She launched community action teams throughout the States. Later on she launched MY Project USA to save girls from human trafficking and other kinds of violence. When it comes to speaking up for women rights, she is a fearless advocate. She has been attacked by some religious leaders because of her advocacy, but they failed to deter her. She has confronted abusers and abusive systems in various settings throughout her life. She also has been focused on women empowerment through education, job training and entrepreneurship. She fosters strong women by providing them shelter, education, training and opportunities to grow and to be who they want to be. As a woman, and a mother of three daughters, she will be a fierce advocate of women’s rights and empowerment in Congress. Education & Youth Development
Zerqa has worked tirelessly alongside parents, teachers and youth for over three decades to provide opportunities and resources for students to have safe environments to learn. She has led and participated in multiple initiatives that ensured early childhood education, higher highschool graduation rates, college prep, and industry-driven higher education to ensure higher earning capacity and prosperity. Building Safe Neighborhoods
Zerqa is an anti-violence activist. She has dedicated her life to protecting children from all types of violence. Gangs and gun violence is on the top of that list due to its prevalence in the Hilltop area of US District 15. She is undoubtedly the most vocal and prominent advocate for social justice and equity for the Hilltop youth on the westside of Columbus. She fiercely and fearlessly advocates for more funding to address poverty, hunger, unemployment and gun/gang violence in the district. She has seen the impact of trauma and mental health issues first hand as she deals with children and adult survivors of gun/gang violence. Zerqa believes that cost-effective preventive programs are essential. She has successfully created innovative programs to curb the pipeline to gangs, guns and violence. While she is against putting minors in jail, she has also seen unfortunate cases of minors that must be taken away from their neighborhoods and helped by professionals until it is safe to return them to their homes. When it comes to police and communities of color, the nation is divided into two extremes and it has created a serious crisis all over the country. In order to address the crimes and create safe neighborhoods, police and communities of color must work together. Zerqa is an alumni of the Hilliard Citizens Police Academy Class of 2011. She was the first Muslim hijabi woman to attend this academy. Since then, she has worked closely with the police force as an ally and has seen the positive impact of it in the most violent neighborhoods. While she takes the cases of police brutality very seriously, she also praises the police officers who truly care for the community and neighborhoods. She has known and has proudly worked with many of them over the years. The City of Columbus lists her program as one of the top “Reimagine Public Safety programs”. The Ohio Crime Prevention Association (OCPA) asked her to train other communities about her model. The University of Cincinnati’s Cancer Research Center also invited her in 2022 to train Cincinnati’s youth organizations about her model. Human Trafficking & Substance Abuse
Ohio ranks 5th in human trafficking and 4th in opioid deaths in the country. US District 15 has some of the most affected areas. Forty percent of Columbus’s sex trafficking and drug deals happen on a corridor of Sullivant Ave. in the Hilltop area. In 2014, Zerqa learned about a gang trafficking minor Muslim girls from Columbus to Nashville, TN, and Minnesota. Being a mother of three daughters, she couldn’t sleep on the fact that someone’s child could be trafficked due to the potential instability of refugee and immigrant parents facing various cultural and language barriers along with economic disadvantages. She dropped all her paid projects, and from her kitchen, she started a non-profit organization to protect and empower youth and parents against drug dealers and pimps. Environment & Natural Source Management
Climate change poses a real and urgent threat to our economy, our national security, and our children’s health and futures. Being a grandmother of three, Zerqa takes protecting the environment as a personal responsibility. She is a big believer in preserving the environment and ecosystem to stop global warming. She knows that there are only a few years left for us to stop or slow down the disastrous impact of global warming on the planet. She is prepared to work across the aisle to support policies that ensure America’s global leadership in the battle against the climate crisis, enact serious measures being taken to stop global warming, and increase investments in renewable energy and zero-waste communities. The shift towards clean energy will also boost the economy. She would like to see more efforts being made at the state and local levels as well. She believes in investing in clean energy jobs and modernizing our energy infrastructure to meet the needs of our community while not destroying our environment in the process. Over the past few years, she has worked with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio and Keep Columbus Beautiful to educate hundreds of households about recycling and more. She has joined hands with the Ohio Climate Justice Funds to foster youth leaders advocating for climate justice. Senior Support
When Zerqa’s mother had a stroke while visiting Pakistan, Zerqa flew to Pakistan and brought her back to the USA. For the next two years, she took care of her mother while navigating through rehab centers and hospitals, Medicaid and Medicare during the pandemic. She knows first hand the struggles that our aging communities face, from being able to stay in their homes to navigating their healthcare needs. Our seniors need the government to ensure they have the resources they need to age with dignity. Immigration She propose to implement strategic and comprehensive reforms that will expedite the process of legal immigration, pave a clear roadmap to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and DREAMers, enhance the efficiency of our asylum system, and address other critical aspects of immigration. I am committed to ensuring a balanced approach that safeguards both our national security and the values upon which this nation was founded. These policies will also bolster the U.S. economy. As an immigrant, I understand the struggle of those who wait for years to reunite with their families legally. I am also aware of the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants within our communities and the plight of those at our borders fleeing from oppression and violence. I propose As a Congresswoman, Zerqa will work across the aisle to support policies that:
Voting and Elections Policy She will also fight to reshape the way the election campaigns are financed. She believes that Citizen United was a blow to democracy that gave too much power to wealthy political donors, companies and entities and has resulted in the political dysfunction in our society. She will work hard for campaign finance reform. She supports small donor public financing nationwide. The integrity of our democratic process demands nothing less. Healthcare
She also advocates for mental health parity and for increasing funding for mental health services and substance abuse treatments. She believes in protecting and strengthening women’s health rights. She fully supports access to reproductive health services and to safe and legal abortion when needed. She also supports investing in medical research and in the fight against diseases like cancer and Alzheimers. [2] |
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| —Zerqa Abid’s campaign website (2024)[3] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House Ohio District 15 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Zerqa Abid for Congress, "Meet Zerqa Abid," accessed February 29, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Zerqa Abid for Congress, “On the Issues,” accessed February 29, 2024
