A Democratic congressional candidate in California claimed Thursday evening that a letter his campaign sent dropping out of the race was an “emotional processing exercise” and that he will continue to vie for the seat currently held by GOP Rep. Michelle Steele.
Aditya Pai, a 31-year-old attorney and “lifelong Democrat,” sent out a letter that he was suspending his congressional campaign due to “lack of joy,” according to the email published on Twitter. Hours later, his campaign sent out a subsequent blast claiming the previous email was distributed by a “now-former aide in error,” and that it was not meant to be shared, a copy of the email shows.
“I wrote that letter as an emotional processing exercise after an exhausting glimpse into the political machine. I sent it to some mentors and staff for perspective before getting back to work,” Pai wrote. “You should know the thought of calling it quits has occurred to me. Running is hard and sometimes painful: ‘an MRI for the soul.’ Yet I knew that going in.”
“However, I will absolutely NOT be suspending my campaign,” he added.
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— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) August 10, 2023
Pai, from Orange County, announced his candidacy on April 10 and pledged to bolster opportunity for everyone and support small businesses, according to his launch video. Other policy platforms included on his campaign website include “reproductive rights,” immigration reform and affordable housing.
Steele was elected to her current seat in the 2022 midterms, where she beat her Democratic opponent by nearly five points, according to Ballotpedia. The congresswoman previously served California’s 48th Congressional District, where she won the seat in 2020.
Pai is one of four declared Democratic candidates vying for the nomination to secure the 45th District, along with Jimmy Pham, Kim Nguyen and Cheyenne Hunt. Steel’s seat is on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s 2024 target list of what they view as competitive races that are either currently held by a Republican or are in swing districts across the country.
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