18
Apr
2012

Milad Pooran’s Bid for U.S. Congress Falls Short

milad_pooranPolitical future looks bright for the medical doctor and Air Force veteran

April 4, 2012, Washington, D.C. – Dr. Milad Pooran lost his bid to become the Democratic nominee on April 3rd in a race for the 6th Congressional District of Maryland.  Although his bid to become the first American of Iranian heritage to serve in the U.S. Congress fell short, Dr. Pooran’s campaign did receive the support of former Democratic National Committee Chairman, Howard Dean. Dr. Pooran was considered the dark horse candidate who gained momentum in the closing weeks of the race.

Unofficial results show that financier John Delany outdistanced his four opponents to grab the Democratic nomination. Delany picked up over 50% of the votes with State Senator Rob Garagiola coming in second with 29% of the vote and Dr. Pooran coming in third with approximately 10% of the vote.     

Lieutenant Colonel Milad Pooran, M.D. is a physician who has served his community and country as both a civilian doctor and as a member of the US Air Force Medical Corps. Dr. Pooran immigrated with his parents to the United States from Iran at the age of six and grew up in Beltsville, Maryland. He earned his bachelor degree and his M.D degree from University of Maryland. After completing his residency in internal medicine, Dr. Pooran completed his clinical fellowships at NIH and worked in the Office of the Secretary for Health and Human Services, tackling national biodefense as well as H1N1 pandemic influenza issues in 2009.

During the early stages of the primary, Dr. Pooran was deployed for military service for five weeks and lost precious time to build a political base.  Regardless, his campaign was able to gain momentum in the closing weeks and advertise his endorsements from former Democratic National Committee Chair, presidential candidate and Governor of Vermont, Howard Dean, as well as the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

It is important to understand that political success in America is not an overnight process.  Dr. Pooran, a political novice a few months ago, was able to gain some high profile endorsements and run a respectable campaign.  As a result, his candidacy had a very positive impact on the image of Iranian Americans in the State of Maryland.  

“I am very proud of our campaign, and have no regrets,” said Dr. Pooran after the election.  “I believe that we managed to cut through the noise and turn the discussion toward the critical issues facing our District and the country.” 

Dr. Pooran looks forward to campaigning for the Democratic nominee in the November general election and has been invited to join the Democratic Central Committee of Fredrick County. 

Click here to read PAAIA’s interview with Dr. Milad Pooran. 

Dr. Milad Pooran was endorsed and supported by the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC), the connected PAC of PAAIA. IAPAC supports and promotes the election of candidates for federal, state, and local office, regardless of party affiliation, who are attuned to the domestic needs of the of the Iranian American community. IAPAC also encourages and Iranian Americans to actively participate in the American electoral process and supports Iranian American candidates for public office. 

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