Mona Das, an Indian American mortgage broker, announced on April 17 that she is running for a seat in the Washington state Senate, aiming to unset a moderate Republican.
Mona Das, a Democrat, said that she is running in the state’s 47th Legislative District, to unseat incumbent Sen. Joe Fain. In an interview April 16 with The Seattle Times, Das said she dropped her Congressional bid earlier this year after facing steep odds in a crowded primary field. But during that campaign, people suggested she consider running against Fain, she said.
Mona Das is a small business owner who has seen the effects of unaffordable housing firsthand. She is joining thousands of others across America who are responding to the call to serve their communities by running for public office.
“I am honored and excited to be running for State Senate as a Democrat. Sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option. It’s time we come together to chart a course for our future that is powerful and inclusive,” Das stated.
Das accused her opponent of voting for big property tax increases, and voted against legislation that would bring taxes down. “As a small business owner who works with families buying their first home, I have seen first-hand how big property tax increases are distressing many in our communities, even as our schools struggle to make ends meet,” said Das on her campaign Web site electmona.com.
“We can make this economy work better and make government work better for families. We can do more to create jobs, ease traffic congestion and make housing affordable,” said the Bihar native, who emigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was just eight months old.
In an interview with India-West last September, Das said she woke up Nov. 9, 2016, feeling a great deal of despair. It was the morning after a hugely unexpected presidential win by Donald Trump.
“I knew immediately that everything that was important to me and my community was under attack,” she said, noting that she was inspired to run for political office by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, the first Indian American woman elected to the House.
“So many of our voices are not being represented; our votes are being under-represented,” said Das, adding: “When I saw Pramila’s poster, I thought: ‘it has taken this long for people who look like us to be represented at the national level.’”
The founder of Moxy Mortgage attended the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University in 2015, which sparked her dreams of running for elected office.
Das is endorsed by King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht. “No matter how tough times had been, the residents of this region are filled with hope that positive change is possible and that our elected leaders can hold themselves to a higher standard, said Johanknecht in a press statement.
“That they can truly represent us, and listen to us, and bring our ideas and challenges and yes, our hope, to the tables where decisions are made,” said Johanknecht. “I firmly believe that Mona Das has what it takes to deliver on that hope.”
Democrats currently have a one-seat edge in the Senate and a two-seat majority in the state House. Das and other Democrats are hoping for a national electoral wave that could extend down to local races to solidify their control of the Legislature, reported The Seattle Times.
Das serves on several boards that promote women entrepreneurship. She also serves on the board of Social Ignition, which promotes entrepreneurship for former inmates.
