Ashwin Madia conveys a series of powerful messages in his run for Congress. Read the endorsement of a major gay donor.
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By John Sullivan | Contact
John Sullivan is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Imation Corp.
Before joining Imation, John was at Silicon Graphics Inc. and Cray Research, Inc.
John served on the Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors and prior on the Board of Governors and Business Council.
John is also active in local community organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Jungle Theater and previously served on several boards.
John holds a doctorate of jurisprudence degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a bachelor of arts degree in quantitative methods from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.
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I have proudly supported Ashwin Madia for U.S. Congress since early in his campaign. My belief in him and his promise to the people of Minnesota's Third Congressional District has only grown stronger the longer I've seen and heard him and his message.
As a former member of the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign, I have been long involved in the fight for LGBT equality at both the local and the national level.
A candidate's vocal support for the civil rights of all Americans - including the LGBT community - is necessary, but not sufficient, for a candidate to earn my support. I will only support a candidate who also demonstrates a strong, clear commitment to the progressive values of social justice, and who has a solid possibility of winning. Ashwin earned my solid support on all measures.
Speaking as an Iraq war veteran who served his country to provide freedom to those in foreign lands, Ashwin publicly acknowledges that he will serve his country in Congress by assuring equality for all. Ashwin's clear, articulate, and unwavering inclusion of the LGBT community in his message about the future of our country is compelling.
Ashwin has already demonstrated his passion and advocacy for LGBT community. While serving as a member of the Marine Judge Advocate General Corps, he successfully defended a gay marine from charges stemming from the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
He was also the first candidate in this race to affirmatively state his unequivocal support for same sex marriage. He passes the commitment to LGBT equality requirement for my support with flying colors.
On issues of social justice, Ashwin conveys a series of powerful messages. Among them are: 1) Ending the Iraq war responsibly; 2) Creating a sustainable economic future; 3) Addressing global warming; 4) Expanding access to healthcare; 5) Renewing the Federal commitment to education; and 6) Safeguarding our fundamental freedoms.
As I mentioned earlier, I was an early supporter of Ashwin's candidacy. I knew I was making the right decision the first time I heard him discuss the issues with the other candidates in the race. Perhaps it is his legal training, perhaps it is his military background, or perhaps it is simply because his thoughts on the subject are so clear, but Ashwin speaks to the issues more directly than nearly any candidate I've ever supported.
When asked a question, he begins with the appropriate "yes" or "no" followed by a well-constructed analysis as to how he came to that conclusion. He does not speak in the too frequently heard nuanced political messaging that frequently has the listener asking at the end of the answer: "was that a yes or a no?" With Ashwin, I know what his answer is, why he believes it is correct, and it is one that I can wholeheartedly support.
I hope you will join me in supporting Ashwin to serve as the next U.S. Congressman from the Third District of Minnesota.
