Updated on October 29 , 2020
Upcoming Election Dates
November 3 is the general election. There are now eight candidates from the Turkish American community on the ballot. The eight candidates are:
– John Alpay, running for a nonpartisan seat on the City Council of San Juan Capistrano, CA, www.JohnAlpay.com
– Onur Arugaslan, running for the nonpartisan position of Trustee of the Mattawan Consolidated Schools Board of Education in Michigan. www.facebook.com/onur4mattawanschools
– Ben Bartlett (D), spouse of Yelda Mesbah Bartlett, seeking reelection (nonpartisan candidate) for the Berkeley (CA) City Council. www.benbartlett.vote
– Leah Ersoylu, spouse of Turkish American Sarp Ersoylu, running for the nonpartisan position of Trustee of the Newport Mesa United School District in Orange County, California. www.leah4newportmesa.com
– Zarina Kiziloglu, spouse of Dr. Kursad Kiziloglu, running for a nonpartisan seat on the City Council of Pleasanton, CA. www.zarina4pleasanton.com
– Ajlan Kurdoglu (D), running for the Arizona State Senate in Legislative District 17. www.voteforaj.com
– Sezin Palmer, running for a nonpartisan seat on the Howard County (Maryland) Public Schools Board of Education District 4. www.sezin4boe.org
– Tayfun Selen (R), up for reelection after being elected earlier in the year to fill a vacancy on the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders (County Commissioners) in New Jersey. secure.anedot.com/selen/morriscountycommissioner
Summary
Number of Turkish American Candidates in 2020: 10 – This number is the highest ever running for elected office in one year.
Number of Candidates with Turkish American Spouses in 2020: 3
Number of Turkish Americans Elected to Public Office as of today: 12 – All the Turkish Americans elected have been for local jurisdictions. No Turkish American has yet been elected to federal or state office.
Scoreboard So Far This Year
Wins:
– Tayfun Selen (R), elected in February to fill a vacancy as a Freeholder (County Commissioner) on the Morris County Board in New Jersey but will be up for re-election on November 3, 2020.
– Aycha Sirvanci Sawa elected as Milwaukee’s City Comptroller (a nonpartisan position) in April. She is the first Turkish American elected as a chief financial officer for a major American city and the second woman elected to a city office in Milwaukee.
Losses:
– Cenk Uygur – Democratic candidate for California’s 25th congressional seat. Special Election was in March.
– Alp Basaran – Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 9th congressional seat. Primary was in July.
–Aylin Acikalin – Democratic candidate for Judge of New Orleans First City Court. Special Election was in July.
– Ceylan Rowe – Democratic candidate for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Primary was in September.
Turkish American Candidates
| 1 September 2020
Democratic Primary for Ceylan Rowe, candidate for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the 12th Worcester District. The winner of the primary will advance to the general election on November 3. |
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3 November 2020
General Election for John Alpay, candidate (nonpartisan) for the San Juan Capistrano (CA) City Council. |
| 3 November 2020
General Election for Onur Arugaslan, candidate for the nonpartisan position of Trustee of the Mattawan Consolidated Schools Board of Education in Michigan. |
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3 November 2020
General Election for Ajlan Kurdoglu, Democratic candidate for the Arizona State Senate in Legislative District 17. |
| 3 November 2020
General Election for Sezin Palmer, candidate for a nonpartisan seat on Howard County (Maryland) Public Schools Board of Education District 4. |
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3 November 2020
General Election for Tayfun Selen, Morris County (NJ) Freeholder (County Commissioner). |
Candidates with Ties to the Turkish American Community
| 3 November 2020
General Election for Ben Bartlett, spouse of Yelda Mesbah Bartlett, seeking reelection (nonpartisan candidate) for the Berkeley (CA) City Council |
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3 November 2020
Leah Ersoylu, the spouse of Turkish American Sarp Ersoylu, is running for the nonpartisan position of trustee of the Newport Mesa United School District in Orange County, California. Her election is on the 3 of November 2020. |
| 3 November 2020
General Election for Zarina Kiziloglu, spouse of Dr. Kursad Kiziloglu, candidate (nonpartisan) for the Pleasanton (CA) City Council. |
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