AMMAR CAMPA-NAJJAR

Ammar Campa-Najjar is a former Obama Administration official, AFT-union educator, and U.S. Navy officer who is ready to fight and win California’s 48th Congressional District for the people. In his previous campaign, Ammar came within single-digits of defeating Darrell Issa, earning 166,869 votes — more than any Democrat in the area’s history. Now, with recent changes to CA-48, Ammar is uniquely positioned to flip this must-win seat from red to blue.

Born and raised in San Diego, Ammar is the first Latino-Arab American to run for Congress. Raised by his mother, Abigail Campa, Ammar grew up surrounded by the support of his extended Latino family. They struggled to get by, so at the age of 16, Ammar began working as a janitor and groundskeeper at his local church — an experience that taught him the dignity of hard work and the power of community. During college, Ammar began working as a community organizer, eventually working for President Obama’s re-election campaign as a regional field director in southern California. Following the campaign, Ammar worked at the White House and later at the US Department of Labor, serving working families like his own.

Ammar made a promise to come back, and give back, to the community that made his dreams possible. After serving the president, Ammar returned to San Diego and with the support of his community, ran for Congress. Today, Ammar is a United States Naval Officer serving at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, Coronado. He also teaches government at Georgetown University, helping educate the next generation.

Following the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, Ammar’s father joined other young Palestinian American business leaders and moved to Gaza to help build a secular Palestinian government and foster economic cooperation with Israel. Sadly, the promising prospect of peace gave way to violence, so with the help of the State Department, Ammar, his mother and brother returned to America.

Ammar’s journey, between middle-class America and the Middle East, shaped his belief that a person’s zip code should never determine their destiny. Rather, your willingness to work hard, play by the rules, and support ethical leaders can change lives, communities, the country and even the world.

Growing up as a Latino-Arab American in the post-9/11 world, Ammar often wondered whether America would ever fully embrace someone like him — a skinny brown kid with a funny name who had lived around the world. In 2008, the country said, “Yes we can.” The election of Barack Obama showed Ammar that America’s promise of inclusion and opportunity was real. Obama became not only a role model but a roadmap — helping Ammar navigate his own journey and providing the destination itself: a place in the Obama Administration.

Ammar has spent years listening, learning and leading. He’s ready to complete the mission: rematch and defeat Darrell Issa and defend democracy. In Congress, Ammar will fight to lower costs and make life more affordable, expand universal healthcare, protect reproductive freedom, support veterans, invest in infrastructure and clean energy, and take on corruption in Washington. He’s ready to answer the call to service again — in his community, in this district, and in Congress.