Los Angeles, California – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) proudly endorses Councilmember Elen Asatryan for the California State Assembly District 44. Asatryan, former Executive Director of the ANCA-WR, currently serves as a Glendale City Councilmember.

Announcing her candidacy for State Assembly on June 5, 2023, Councilmember Asatryan has a long history of public service, community organizing, and activism. Moving to Glendale from Armenia at ten years old, she volunteered for her first campaign at 15 and, at 19, was serving as a campaign manager for a local election. Asatryan has been a vocal advocate for the community for over two decades. She has worked to expand voter participation, protect the environment, address equity issues, and create opportunities for student engagement in government. She has served in local and regional leadership for several organizations, including as the chair of the City of Glendale Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission, board member of the Glendale Youth Alliance, the Glendale Unified School District Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, Los Angeles County Voter Outreach Committee, Los Angeles City Voter Outreach and Education Committee, among many others.

As Executive Director of the ANCA-WR for several years, Asatryan helped grow the reach of the Armenian cause forward and has since continued to bring attention to issues of importance to the Armenian-American community. During her time with the ANCA-WR, the ANCA-WR saw the growth of recognition of the Armenian Genocide on the state and local levels. Asatryan also aided in the expansion of the ANCA-WR’s grassroots audience by activating several new chapters across the Western United States. In 2017, Asatryan would depart from the ANCA-WR to found the Stark Group, a full-service political consulting and public relations firm. Asatryan was elected to the Glendale City Council in 2022, being the first immigrant woman and Armenian-American woman to serve on the City Council.

“Elen Asatryan is a proven leader who has dedicated her life to serving the Armenian-American community and advancing our shared values of justice, democracy, and human rights. She has the vision, the experience, and the passion to represent the diverse voices of CA Assembly District 44 and to fight for the issues that matter most to us,” said Nora Hovsepian, Esq., Chair of the ANCA-Western Region.

“My Armenian heritage and immigrant experience is at the core of my identity. I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the ANCA-Western Region – an organization that is near and dear to my heart,” stated Asatryan. “The million of Armenians who call California home currently have zero representation in the California Legislature. This is one of the main driving forces behind my decision to run for AD 44. As my people face yet another brutal genocide by the dictatorial regimes of Turkey and Azerbaijan, ensuring that my community has access to essential services, securing equitable funding for our institutions, justly representing our community, and forging stronger bonds between California, Armenia, and Artsakh are among my foremost priorities.”

The 44th Assembly District consists of portions of Los Angeles County, including the whole City of Burbank, and parts of the City of Glendale and San Fernando Valley neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles, including Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Valley Village, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, La Crescenta, and Sunland-Tujunga.

Primary elections for California will occur on March 5, 2024, with general elections on November 5, 2024. For more information on voting, visit hyevotes.org

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.

This press release was written by Beaina Bedrossian, an ANCA-WR Government Affairs intern of the Summer 2023 Internship Program.