WASHINGTON, D.C. – Fresh off the Nov. 3 midterm elections, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) will host a nationwide online townhall meeting bringing together Armenian Americans to review our impact at the ballot box and set forth our community’s advocacy agenda for the two years leading up to the 2028 presidential and congressional elections.
More than 100 new members of Congress are expected to take office this January and the ANCA’s national, regional and local teams are already working with advocates in all 50 states to put Armenian American priorities in front of every one of them.
The ANCA Nationwide Townhall takes place Thursday, Nov. 5, at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST via Zoom, under the banner “Our Work Starts Now: Post-Midterm Analysis and Action.” To register for the free online event, visit https://anca.org/townhall.
The Townhall will report how ANCA-endorsed candidates fared, review the outcome of the ANCA’s targeted races and outline the community’s strategy for engaging returning legislators and newly elected members from their first day in office.
“Armenian Americans spent this cycle generating political capital — grading Members of Congress, endorsing our allies, and taking on candidates who crossed our red lines — shaping the legislative environment in support of our priorities,” said ANCA National Grassroots Director Gev Iskajyan. “The work starts on November 5th, as we take stock of what our votes delivered and pivot to the challenges and opportunities ahead. Every new member of Congress will hear from Armenian Americans in their district before they cast their first vote.”
Watch Iskajyan’s video invitation to the ANCA Nationwide Townhall:
Hitting the ground running in the 120th Congress
The 120th Congress, convening in January 2027, will look markedly different from the one sworn in last year. At the close of the 2026 primary season, 99 seats, 83 in the House and 16 in the Senate, were guaranteed to have a different member than at the start of 2025, according to NPR’s congressional retirement tracker, with that number expected to rise as dozens of incumbents face competitive general elections. The cycle produced 68 retirements, 11 senators and 57 House members, the second-highest departure count since 1992. That turnover gives Armenian Americans an early opening to set expectations with lawmakers who have yet to build a record on these issues.
The ANCA’s priorities for the new Congress include:
- Freeing Armenian hostages held by Azerbaijan in Baku.
- Securing the right of return for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), under international guarantees, and protecting Artsakh’s Armenian Christian heritage.
- Enforcing Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and ending all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan.
- Sanctioning Azerbaijani officials responsible for war crimes under the Global Magnitsky Act.
- Strengthening Armenia’s security and sovereignty, including through a deeper U.S.-Armenia defense partnership and an end to Azerbaijan’s occupation of sovereign Armenian territory.
- Ending Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and advancing Armenian Genocide education nationwide.
- Defending Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter and Christian communities across the Middle East.
ANCA Election Hub: Endorsements, report cards and races to watch
On Oct. 14, the ANCA released its 2026 Congressional Report Cards and 64 endorsements, grading every U.S. senator and representative across more than 70 pro-Armenian legislative metrics.
The endorsements and grades are featured on the ANCA Election Hub, anca.org/electionhub, along with detailed information on target races, the latest news from key contests, and sign-up for ANCA election alerts.
Townhall participants will hear results and analysis from the races the ANCA has prioritized this cycle:
- Texas’ 28th District: Rep. Henry Cuellar, graded “F,” tops the ANCA’s list of targets after a federal indictment charging him with accepting bribes from an oil company controlled by the government of Azerbaijan. President Trump pardoned Cuellar in December 2025. The ANCA has endorsed Judge Tano Tijerina.
- New Hampshire Senate: The ANCA has endorsed Rep. Chris Pappas, graded “A,” against former Sen. John E. Sununu, whose family holdings include a major stake in Anglo Asian Mining, which operates on Artsakh lands from which Armenians were forcibly displaced.
- Michigan Senate: With Armenian Caucus champion Sen. Gary Peters retiring, the ANCA has endorsed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for the open seat.New York’s 17th District: Rep. Mike Lawler, graded “A-,” co-led the Lawler-Pallone-Bilirakis-Amo letter demanding full enforcement of Section 907.California’s 22nd and 40th Districts: Rep. David Valadao, graded “A+,” a leader of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, faces a competitive race, while Rep. Young Kim, graded “A-,” is endorsed over Rep. Ken Calvert, graded “B-,” in a member-versus-member contest.
The ANCA Nationwide Townhall on Thursday, Nov. 5 will review the 2026 midterm results and set the Armenian American agenda for the new Congress.
Register for the free Nov. 5 Townhall at https://anca.org/townhall.
Unfortunately, most of ANCA’s listed priorities are unrealistic and range from very difficult (eg. U.S.-Armenia defense partnership, sanctioning Azerbaijan, defending Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter, etc…) to impossible (eg. right of return for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh, ending Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, etc…). The greatest stumbling block to Armenian interests, is of course the Israeli lobby, which has sabotaged Armenian interests at every turn – formerly by partnering with Turkey, and now by partnering with Azerbaijan. As long as the geopolitical stars between Azerbaijan, Israel and the United States continue to align, Armenia will face this obstacle.