Two Penn affiliates — Biology professor Ala Stanford and 2011 College graduate Jason Landau Goodman — announced their bids for public office on Wednesday.
At an Oct. 1 press conference in Philadelphia, Stanford kickstarted her campaign to represent Pennsylvania’s third congressional district — which includes University City — in the United States House of Representatives. Goodman is seeking to represent the commonwealth’s 148th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
“This campaign is about stepping up and continuing to fight for Philadelphia,” Stanford said at the conference.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Stanford highlighted the key issues of her campaign — including “safer communities,” “good jobs and fair wages,” “safe, strong schools,” and “basic, quality health care.”
“I’ve seen the Trump Administration fail this city, and I’ve stepped up to lead in their absence — that’s what I’m going to do for you in Washington every single day,” the statement continued.
Stanford was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), who currently occupies the seat but announced in June that he would not be seeking reelection. 1999 University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School graduate and Pennsylvania state Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) — who announced his bid in July — is running for the same office.
“Dr. Ala Stanford is a compassionate and dedicated public servant, and I am proud to endorse her campaign for Congress,” Evans’ endorsement read. “Dr. Stanford is ready to represent Philadelphia and be that champion for the people of the city and the region.”
At her campaign announcement, Stanford said she was “honored” by Evans’ endorsement, and added that she is “humbled by the opportunity to succeed him.”
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In a press release published alongside the Oct. 1 announcement, Goodman stated that the “time is now to actively leverage this seat as a platform for the greatest good.”
“Our communities urgently need proactive, innovative, and relentless representation to serve them at home and in Harrisburg,” the press release read. “While our Democracy is facing unprecedented challenges, we must send our strongest fighters to the front lines.”
Goodman — who also received a Master of Urban Spatial Analytics from the Stuart Weitzman School of Design — currently works as an environmental lawyer and civil rights advocate, according to his campaign website. During his time at Penn, Goodman played a leading role at the University’s LGBT Center and was the founder of the Pennsylvania Youth Congress — the state’s premier LGBTQ+ organization for youths.
In April 2022, Stanford was appointed as regional director of the Department of Health and Human Services within the Region 3 office, which holds jurisdiction over Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Thomas Jefferson University professor and physician David Oxman — who is running against Stanford — invited Stanford to embrace a national physicians’ walkout in a Wednesday press release.
“[Physicians] convinced me that we must do more to fight the Trump administration’s war on science and health. … That’s why I call on Dr. Stanford to join me in calling for a national physician walk out,” his Oct. 1 statement read.
