Jesus and Politics: The Congressional Race That Could Have Been
/LOS ANGELES — Within just days of each other's announcements, two women who are unified in their proclamations of Jesus as their savior but are opposites when it comes to political party affiliation recently dropped out of a congressional race for a southern Los Angeles District.
Had the race continued, the ensuing battle between the two could have clearly reflected the current divide that's visible not only in the nation at large but within the Christian community in America.A race between actress and former FOX News political commentator Stacey Dash and Compton Mayor Aja Brown could have been an opportunity to raise the current "liberal Christian" versus "conservative Christian" debate to another level.Could-ah. Should-ah. Would-ah.
One week after Dash announced her withdrawal, Brown announced that she is dropping out of the race as well for the 44th Congressional District. Brown's decision was centered on the fact she is pregnant with her first child.“I am excited and blessed to announce that my husband of 14 years and I are expecting our first child,” Brown said in a statement released Thursday evening, April 5. “We are overjoyed at the opportunity to become parents and look forward to starting our family.”Family commitments supersede her ability to run for higher office, Brown said in the statement. She said she will continue to focus on the issues facing Compton.Just a little under a week earlier, Dash had dropped out of the race.Brown, who was featured at the Together LA 2015 conference, announced her run for the district in early March. Nanette Barragán is the current Representative of the district which includes parts of San Pedro, Wilmington, North Long Beach and south Los Angeles.Dash, who appeared on CBN News several years ago, gave her testimony of coming to faith in God during a segment, From Clueless to Conservative: Stacey Dash's Unlikely Hollywood Story, of the Christian-based network’s 700 Club show. Brown has been part of leading a revival of sorts in Compton that includes the revitalization of the city with the help of several Christian organizations and nonprofits.Dash’s statement about her withdrawal, which she made on Twitter and Facebook, is below.
After much prayer, introspection and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy for California’s 44th Congressional District.I started this run with the intention to address the pressing issues in the district where I live. I hoped, and remain hopeful, that I can assist people living here on the national level. My goal was, and remains, to improve the lives of people who have been forgotten for decades by the Democratic Party.At this point, I believe that the overall bitterness surrounding our political process, participating in the rigors of campaigning, and holding elected office would be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of my family. I would never want to betray the personal and spiritual principles I believe in most: that my God and my family come first.The constituents living in the 44th District deserve a representative who is fully dedicated to improving their lives. I believe we live under a system of “Plantation Politics,” which offers people on the lower end of the economic spectrum little more than symbolic gestures instead of true political empowerment and improvement. The high crime rate, unacceptable high school dropout rate, and decaying infrastructure are all problems that could receive federal attention and funds, but not if we focus on distractions and partisanship instead.My political positions have often been labeled as controversial, but the real controversy is how decades of government corruption and political disempowerment have created a system where skyrocketing home prices, dirty needles in the streets, and long bus trips to other districts for jobs are somehow considered acceptable by the government officials representing the 44th District.The people living here deserve better. I will continue to speak out about these and other problems facing this district, as well as the distractions that take the place of real change.I am grateful for the prayers, love, and support I have received. Deciding to withdraw my candidacy was a difficult choice, but I have to go where I feel God is leading me.My Thanks.My Love.My Gratitude.God Bless You.Stacey Lauretta Dash
PHOTO TOP: Stacey Dash/Facebook Page, PHOTO NEXT: Mayor Aja Brown/Facebook Page