I’m a Justice Democrat running for Congress.

I am a New Yorker, the daughter of immigrants, a human rights activist, an organizer — and today, I am officially announcing my candidacy in the race for New York's 12th District.

Hello, My name is Rana Abdelhamid. I am a New Yorker, the daughter of immigrants, a human rights activist, an organizer — and today, I am officially announcing my candidacy in the race for New York's 12th District. By the end of this email, I hope I'll have earned your interest and your support. But, if you're ready to endorse my campaign for Congress now, you can go here to add your name and join our grassroots movement. My story begins in Astoria, Queens, where I grew up in a small apartment with my mother, father, and three younger siblings. While we attended NYC public schools, my parents worked every day — and most nights — running our family-owned neighborhood deli. Over time, rising rent forced my father to take a second job just to pay the bills until eventually, he'd have to close the shop. And these rising rents didn't just affect my dad's business. They also impacted where our family was able to call home. Gentrification and poor housing conditions forced us to move six times over the course of my childhood. It's hard to feel safe when you're moving around so much. It's even harder when your community is under attack. As a child of working-class Egyptian immigrants, I experienced a rise in racial discrimination and violence firsthand. 9/11 shook the world, and it also shed a blinding light on the insidious nature of racial violence in my community. I saw fathers and brothers profiled by law enforcement on my block; at the age of 16, I survived a racially-targeted hate crime by a man who tried to rip off my hijab. This event inspired me to take my safety into my own hands. I began my journey as a self-defense trainer and founded a nonprofit organization called Malikah. As of today, Malikah has reached over 20,000 women and girls in 20 cities across the world and has trained them in self-defense, organizing, and financial literacy. Throughout my life, I learned just how complicit our government systems and leaders are in perpetuating and upholding unjust policies that harm our communities. I've experienced how issues like income inequality, police brutality, racial injustice, rising rents, and gentrification continue to plague our city — and now I'm ready to stand up and fight for the reforms NY-12 truly needs. The fight for change has inspired my entire life — and when I say my entire life, I mean it. Representative Carolyn Maloney has been in Congress for 28 years — longer than I've been alive. She's had almost three decades to bring widespread change to NY-12 but, time and time again, she's failed. I'm running against Carolyn Maloney because her leadership has only led to further racial discrimination and police violence. She supported former New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, an outspoken advocate for racist policing tactics like stop-and-frisk. Her support of the 1994 Crime Bill created a devastating wave of mass incarceration of Black and Brown New Yorkers. And her detached and profit-based decisions have also led to further economic divide and gentrification; today, NY-12 has the 10th highest level of income inequality in the entire country. I'm running for Congress because New York deserves a leader who isn't afraid to challenge the status quo, and who isn't afraid to take on the powerful. I've spent the last decade of my life organizing across New York City, and now I'm going to bring the voice of the people straight to the halls of Congress. The wait for change is over. Today is the official launch day of our campaign for Congress, but we really need your help. If we want to make the biggest possible impact right out the gate, we need to build our momentum. Please, sign up at the link below to show your support for our grassroots campaign. Join our movement This movement is people-powered, which means every donation matters. Because I refuse to accept corporate PAC donations, even just $5 or $10 has an immediate impact on how hard we're able to fight for our vision. Our campaign won't be a walk in the park. We're going up against nearly three decades of entrenched incumbency and big money relationships. But, even as Maloney has taken millions in donations from corporate PACs representing Wall Street and big banks, the one thing she doesn't have is the support of the people. If we want a fighting chance in this election, we need you on our side. For the first time in 28 years, we have an opportunity to elect a leader who truly understands the challenges our communities face and has the solutions big enough to match the urgency of the crises we face.   So will you join me in this fight? Add your name to show you support our people-powered movement. Let's do this, Rana Abdelhamid Paid for by RANA ABDELHAMID FOR CONGRESS. Does not equal endorsement.   Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progress America, please click here.