ANCA Endorses Raja Krishnamoorthi for US Senate

Washington, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has endorsed Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D‑IL) in his campaign for the United States Senate representing Illinois, home to a vibrant and actively engaged Armenian‑American community.

“Raja Krishnamoorthi has been a genuine champion for Illinois’ Armenian Americans — not just in words, but in action,” said Maral Abrahamian, a longtime Illinois resident and ANCA advocate. “He stood with our community during Azerbaijan’s blockade and genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, demanded accountability for Azerbaijani war criminals, and has never missed a chance to reaffirm U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Illinois Armenians know who shows up for us — and Raja shows up. And we are confident he will do the same in the U.S. Senate.”

Rep. Krishnamoorthi has been a leading advocate of Armenian American community concerns, consistently receiving an “A” grade from the ANCA. He has backed legislation and congressional letters condemning Azerbaijan’s genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, demanding the dignified, safe, collective return of Artsakh refugees, and pressing for the immediate release of Armenian hostages. He has been equally forceful in calling for Azerbaijan’s full withdrawal from sovereign Armenian territory and delivering concrete support for Armenia’s defense capabilities.

At the ANCA’s September 2025 Capitol Hill Call for Azerbaijani accountability for the Artsakh genocide, Rep. Krishnamoorthi spoke with conviction, zeroing in on the urgent humanitarian dimension: “We need the release of POWs now. Secondly, we must have accountability for those who committed war crimes among the Azerbaijanis. It’s simple.”

When the U.S. House passed a series of ANCA-backed amendments to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act aimed at holding Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable, Krishnamoorthi was among those who fought to move them across the finish line. “The importance of the diplomatic and security partnerships between the American and Armenian peoples has only grown in recent years, and it’s essential that our shared security efforts reflect that,” he said. “I was proud to join with my colleagues in fighting to pass these provisions that will strengthen the security of the United States, Armenia, and the wider world.”

As a member of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, he has demanded that the U.S. hold Azerbaijan accountable for its aggression against Armenia and Artsakh, urging the enforcement of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and the application of Magnitsky sanctions against Azerbaijani war criminals. He was an early and vocal opponent of Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh, posting in February 2023: “I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of the House resolution condemning Azerbaijan’s unacceptable blockade of Artsakh, which has left 120,000 Armenians without food, energy, and medicine for 2 months. I urge my colleagues to join me in holding Azerbaijan accountable.”

Since his election to the U.S. House in 2016, he has cosponsored and voted for legislation calling for proper U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide and has been an early supporter of the Armenian Genocide Education Act, directing the Library of Congress to implement a nationwide education program about the genocide committed by the Ottoman Turkish Government from 1915 to 1923 against Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians. He has regularly attended Capitol Hill commemorations of the Armenian Genocide and the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh. On the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, he wrote: “This week, we remember the 1.5 million men, women, and children who perished in the Armenian genocide. As we honor their memory, we must reaffirm our support for the people of Armenia in the face of the aggression of Azerbaijan.”

Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s leadership on these issues has been evident in his engagement with local ANCA advocates and his sustained work on legislative and policy initiatives advancing truth, justice, and accountability — reinforcing the imperative that U.S. policy confront genocide, prevent future atrocities, and reject impunity for those who perpetrate crimes against humanity.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was elected to represent Illinois’ 8th District in 2016 and is currently serving his fifth term. He serves as Ranking Member of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party — making him the first South Asian American in history to lead a Congressional committee — and also sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The child of immigrants, Krishnamoorthi was raised in Peoria, graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and with honors from Harvard Law School, and went on to serve as a Special Assistant Illinois Attorney General, Illinois Deputy Treasurer, and president of small businesses focused on national security and renewable energy technology. He resides in Schaumburg with his wife Priya, a physician, and their three children.

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