The Massachusetts primary matters for Hellenism

Much of the world’s attention is understandably turned to the upcoming election in the United States. At stake is not only the presidency, but also one-third of the Senate and the entire Congress. In the American political system, which is unlike European ones where the government also has the majority in the legislative assembly, Congress plays a pivotal role. In this sense, it goes without saying that the Greek voice not only needs to be present, but hopefully will become even stronger after November. Right now, there are five Greek Americans in Congress that we hope to see re-elected. This number may rise if democratic candidate Natalia Linos is elected in the Massachusetts primaries today. A win will not be easy, as there are many candidates eyeing the spot who have been able to invest a lot more money in their pre-election campaigns. If Linos makes it, though, she will be safely on the path to a seat in the House of Representatives, as this particular Congressional district – Massachusetts’ 4th – is regarded as a Democratic bastion. Right now, it belongs to Joe Kennedy III – a grandson of the slain Robert F. Kennedy – who is running for senator in this election.

As an infectious disease expert, Linos looks to be the right person at the right time. Given the Covid-19 crisis we are going through, her presence in Congress would undoubtably prove beneficial to America as the country is fighting against the pandemic. Having spent 10 years at the United Nations and time in the New York health system working on Ebola, her focus in Congress will most likely be on health. At the same time she will be sensitive to all issues concerning Hellenism and will support Greece and Cyprus. It comes, indeed, as no surprise that she has secured the support of the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC). Interest in the course of the American elections will be constant and intense over the next two months, both because what happens to the superpower is a concern for all of us, but also because the US stance on issues concerning Hellenism is extremely important. A potential victory by Linos in the Democratic primary in Massachusetts would not only bring an expert health scientist onto the political stage, which is something America needs badly right now, it will also bolster the Greek-American presence on Capitol Hill.