Greek-American representation in congress grows with six new members

Six Greek-Americans have been elected to the US House of Representatives in Tuesday’s presidential election, evenly representing the Democratic and Republican parties and strengthening the community’s voice in Congress by one.

Here are their names and some of their key positions on US-Greece and US-Turkey relations.

Chris Pappas, Democrat, New Hampshire
greek-american-voice-strengthened-in-us-house-of-representatives0Democrat Chris Pappas has been reelected for the fourth time, achieving a clear victory over his Republican opponent, Russell Prescott, in New Hampshire’s 1st District. He is also active in matters concerning Greece’s national issues. In a past interview with Kathimerini, the 43-year-old accused Turkey of “doing everything possible to weaken NATO’s solidarity and security.” “I don’t believe enough of my colleagues fully appreciate the threat Turkey’s actions and rhetoric toward Greece pose and the potential for conflict to erupt,” he said.

Maggie Goodlander, Democrat, New Hampshire
greek-american-voice-strengthened-in-us-house-of-representatives2It was a double win for the Greek-American community in New Hampshire, as the 2nd District elected lawyer and politician Maggie Goodlander (born 1986) to Congress for the first time with the Democrats, defeating Lily Tang Williams. Until recently, she held a senior position in the White House. She is the wife of Jake Sullivan, national security advisor to President Biden. Her family’s story in America began when her great-grandfather arrived from Avdella, Grevena, to Ellis Island at the age of 16, without speaking a word of English. “I want to play a part in deepening the relationship between the US and Greece across every dimension,” Goodlander told Kathimerini.

Dina Titus, Democrat, Nevada
greek-american-voice-strengthened-in-us-house-of-representatives4The electoral race was tense in Nevada, but Dina Titus, running with the Democrats, ultimately came out on top against Republican Mark Robertson, securing her eighth re-election. The 74-year-old Democratic congresswoman and a high-ranking member of the Hellenic Caucus had expressed concerns during her campaign about a possible Trump presidency, which she believed could harm US relations with Greece, NATO and Ukraine. “We want to be sure that the administration doesn’t go down the road of bringing Turkey back into the F-35 program, and that’s going to be the challenge in the next administration,” she stated earlier this month.

Gus Bilirakis, Republican, Florida
greek-american-voice-strengthened-in-us-house-of-representatives6Gus Bilirakis secured a comfortable victory over Democrat Rock Aboujaoude in Florida’s 12th District, where Republicans held an overwhelming advantage. Bilirakis, age 61, has been a steadfast member of Congress since 2006 and enjoys a strong relationship with the new US president. Originally from Kalymnos, he is a lawyer and father of four. Known for his dedication to Greek national issues, Bilirakis continues the legacy of his father, Michael Bilirakis, who represented Florida in Congress for 24 years. Bilirakis has has previously spearheaded efforts to curb Turkish aggression and impose controls on the transfer of defense articles to Ankara, saying that “any attempt to weaken provisions of CAATSA or provide a sanctions exception to Turkey would leave the United States and our Eastern Mediterranean allies, Greece and Cyprus, more vulnerable to our adversaries. Turkey has no place in the F-35 program.”

Nicole Malliotakis, Republican, New York
greek-american-voice-strengthened-in-us-house-of-representatives8Nicole Malliotakis won by a significant margin in New York’s 11th District against her Democratic opponent, Andrea Morse, and is preparing for her third consecutive term. The 43-year-old Greek-American is considered a strong asset for the Republicans and is particularly active on issues concerning Greece. She was a member of a bipartisan group, led by Chris Pappas, that urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to establish an oversight mechanism to ensure that Turkey does not use F-16s against Greece and Cyprus. “As a Greek-American whose father comes from the same island of Crete where [Greek PM Kyriakos] Mitsotakis hails, it’s refreshing to see the significant investment and improvements he has made to Greece’s economy, military and energy independence, and I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen our partnership in these areas,” Malliotakis said in a social media post this summer.

Mike Haridopoulos, Republican, Florida
greek-american-voice-strengthened-in-us-house-of-representatives10Mike Haridopolos was elected to Congress for the first time on Tuesday, with a decisive lead over his Democratic opponent, Sandy Kennedy, in Florida’s 8th District. Haridopolos was born in 1970 in New York, studied history and art history, and has taught at the University of Florida, among other positions. He is married and the father of three children. Since 2003, he has served in the Florida State Senate. As a newcomer to Congress, his position on key foreign policy issues, including Greek-American relations, are not broadly known.