WASHINGTON—ASPIRE PAC (formerly CAPAC Leadership PAC) endorses Representative Keith Ellison (MN-5) for Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair.

The ASPIRE PAC is the political action committee of Asian American and Pacific Islander Members of Congress and their supporters. It works to increase the number of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in Congress, and to support those with large AAPI constituencies.

ASPIRE PAC is committed to diversity in government and believes that DNC leadership must also be representative of the candidates it supports. We endorse Rep. Ellison because he is the candidate best prepared to lead the DNC and represent the interests of the AAPI community.

Rep. Ellison's AAPI Engagement Strategy supports: a fulltime constituency staff-person for the AAPI Caucus; aggressive goals on the percentage of external vendor contracts and will make sure that the DNC staff represents the diversity of America; investment in the ethnic media; and increasing in-language voting assistance and outreach. The full AAPI Engagement Strategy can be reviewed here.

There is now a record number of 18 AAPIs elected to the 115th Congress. AAPIs represent 6 percent of the total U.S. population and are the fastest growing population in the United States. Within the last decade, AAPIs have become the margin of victory in swing states. ASPIRE PAC will continue to support candidates who back the AAPI community and to inspire more AAPIs to become involved in the election process.