Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

MBA Student Announces Run for Congress

MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA Veteran and MBA student Justin Gandino-Saadein announced his candidacy on May 5 for the third congressional district of Virginia.
MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA
Veteran and MBA student Justin Gandino-Saadein announced his candidacy on May 5 for the third congressional district of Virginia.

Executive MBA student Justin Gandino-Saadein (GRD ’15) announced his candidacy for the House of Representatives, representing Virginia’s third congressional district, on May 5.

Gandino-Saadein is running as an Independent against incumbent Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who has occupied the seat since 1993. Scott has carried the district with over 70 percent of the vote since 1992, even taking 98 percent of the vote in 2000. The third district, which spans from Norfolk to Richmond, is Virginia’s most Democratic district.

“We have a congressman who’s a nice guy, and he’s been there for 22 years, but he’s not a leader,” Gandino-Saadein said. “We have to have a leader. … I think he’s comfortable in his position, and he’s not aggressively fighting for what he needs to in the District — jobs, better wages.”

Shawn Williamson, Scott’s press contact, said that Scott is withholding comment until after all candidates are officially certified from the Democratic primary June 10 and the Republican convention May 3.

“I hope people embrace the need for leadership and are willing to step away from the status quo and only vote for one party,” Gandino-Saadein said. “We need to embrace open-mindedness.”

Gandino-Saadein stressed the importance of independent candidates and voters in today’s heavily partisan political environment.

“I’m not against large parties, but the two parties are not talking right now,” Gandino-Saadein said. “When you talk with someone, and you say you’re from a party, there’s a 50-50 chance that person will shut down because everything is so polarized right now.”

Gandino-Saadein, who served for over 10 years in the Armed Forces, cited his previous military background as a testament to his leadership abilities. Gandino-Saadein said he believed that his negotiation skills, in particular, would help address the current gridlock in Congress.

“My military service and that negotiation ability and leadership will allow me to bridge the gap and open the gateways of communication between the two parties,” Gandino-Saadein said.

Gandino-Saadein’s platform focuses on raising the standard of living, primarily by increasing the minimum wage and ensuring that military veterans have access to vital services.

According to Gandino-Saadein, the minimum wage has not kept pace with the cost of living over the last few decades, which has reduced the standard of living for working-class families. As a result, he wants to raise the minimum wage from $7.24 an hour to $16.

While Scott and Gandino-Saadein agree on raising the minimum wage, however, Gandino-Saadein criticized Scott’s lack of explanation for how he would make the hike profitable for businesses. Gandino-Saadein, who founded a digital media firm in 2013, stressed the importance of supporting small businesses.

“What are you doing for the businesses? You’ve got to offset that with tax incentives, allow these businesses to circulate that through their employees and through the community,” Gandino-Saadein said. “That combined with the health care law is putting a lot of pressure on business, and I’m not sure we’re setting them up to succeed.”

Furthermore, as a veteran, Gandino-Saadein said that ensuring vital services for veterans is one of his top legislative priorities.

“It is absolutely deplorable that we are even in discussion of cutting military benefits when we are still at war,” Gandino-Saadein said. “There are no words. … There is waste in our government, but our waste is not with our service members, and they should receive the benefits they were promised.”

According to Georgetown Director of Media Relations Rachel Pugh, while the university does not endorse any candidates because of its tax-exempt status, the university is proud that so many alumni engage in public service.

Currently, Gandino-Saadein is still collecting signatures from District voters for his candidate petition; the minimum number is 1,000. Overall, he said he was happy with the state of his campaign and the support that he has received.

“I didn’t expect the overwhelming support that I have been receiving. … I wish there was more constructive criticism,” Gandino-Saadein said. “Money is [a challenge] because I know Congressman Scott has quite the war chest, but I have confidence in our ability to run a grassroots campaign.”

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Hoya

Your donation will support the student journalists of Georgetown University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Hoya

Comments (0)

All The Hoya Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *