Washington: Susheela Jayapal, the sister of Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, has launched her bid for the US Congress. In a post on X in November the Washington Representative said: “We need a progressive champion in Washington to carry on Congressman Blumenauer’s legacy, stand up to MAGA ideologues, and get things done for our community, without compromising our values. Today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for Congress.”

A former county commissioner in Oregon, Susheela Jayapal announced that she was looking to succeed Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer, who has said that he will not seek re-election to the state’s 3rd Congressional District. Blumenauer, who was first elected in 1996, won a 14th full term last year with nearly 70 per cent of the vote, reports CNN. The 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Portland, is a Democratic stronghold.

Susheela Jayapal, who resigned from the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, is a lawyer who has worked as general counsel for Adidas America and served as a board member for the local Planned Parenthood chapter, according to her campaign website. Her top issues include abortion rights, gun safety and climate change, according to her campaign, and she has announced that she will not accept corporate money.

Susheela Jayapal is “committed to ensuring America lives up to its promise of opportunity for all, with no community left behind; and to the vision of a country that we can be proud to leave to our children and our grandchildren”, CNN quoted her campaign website as saying. Pramila Jayapal has endorsed her sister’s bid and called for grassroots donors to support her campaign.