Mehrdad Khadir, a journalist, examined the electoral behavior of Iranians residing in the United States in a note and raised the question of why a community that has long been referred to as one of the important and influential minorities in the U.S. has not shown a clear presence and impact in recent electoral competitions.
Analysis of the Midterm Election Results
The U.S. midterm elections refer to the elections for the representatives of both the House of Representatives and the Senate halfway through the presidential term. These elections, in addition to determining the composition of Congress, also serve as a measure of public satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the performance of the incumbent president. Khadir notes the defeat of the Republicans in both chambers and writes that multiple analyses have been published regarding this outcome. One of the most important interpretations is that the economic consequences of the war with Iran and Donald Trump's departure from his campaign promises have played a role in the Republican Party's defeat.
Read more: The Martyr Who Was a Guide for the Youth
The Silence of Iranians Abroad and Electoral Behavior
Khadir discusses the electoral behavior of Iranians residing in the United States, especially those in California. He refers to the competition in California's 47th district, where the Democratic candidate won. He writes that it was previously said that if seven thousand Iranians voted in this district, the Republican candidate would have a chance of victory; however, the vote difference between the two candidates reached about 30,000 votes. This difference could indicate several possibilities: perhaps the number of Iranians or Iranian voters was less than the estimates presented, or they did not behave as a cohesive and unified community.
Khadir refers to the common image of Iranians residing in the United States, who are recognized as one of the most educated and important minorities in the country. He believes that if such a status is accompanied by political and social reality, it should be seen more than anywhere else in the political and electoral arena. However, over all these years, we have not witnessed the emergence of an Iranian or Iranian descent figure as a prominent candidate.
He presents two possibilities for this situation: first, Iranians may have assimilated into American society and consider themselves American, but their lack of political engagement is questionable; second, some Iranians may prefer to maintain their Iranian identity, but their support for Republican candidates in recent elections was also not evident.
Khadir raises further questions: If Iranians residing in the United States are so numerous and influential, why did the Republican candidate not win in this district? Have Iranians, at least supporters of Reza Pahlavi, become disillusioned?
He concludes that Iranians residing in the United States are not a cohesive and consistently influential community in the electoral arena. To clarify the discussion, he identifies two ways through which Iranians could have demonstrated their political power: first, introducing and supporting Iranian descent figures in elections, and second, providing cohesive support for candidates of a political party. According to Khadir, if Iranians residing in the United States are recognized as a political group, they should also have a greater presence and impact in the electoral arena.
Read more: Immigration to Australia; A Way for a Fresh Start · Benjamin Netanyahu's Rivals Are Seeking His Political Removal
