Washington, DC – The National Women’s Political Caucus endorsed Kathryn Xian in the race for U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s first district. The caucus called Xian a “passionate civic leader” with “innovative ideas concerning women’s rights.”
“Kathryn Xian has already done so much on behalf of women in Hawaii and in this country,” said NWPC President Linda Young. “Because of her efforts, Hawaii legislators have created new laws to regulate sex trafficking and protect victims of sexual assault. We are thrilled to see a young woman who is unafraid to tackle traditionally controversial and marginalized issues like prostitution and sex trafficking. I think we are all excited to see what she’ll accomplish in her first term.”
Xian has demonstrated her commitment to women’s rights through her leadership of Girl Fest Hawaii and the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, supporting legislation such as the End Demand of Prostitution Law, which made the solicitation of children under the age of 18 a felony offense, the organization said.
“Kathryn Xian’s experience fighting human rights abuses makes her an important advocate for women in Washington. We are confident that she will push Congress to reform its policies concerning sex trafficking and sexual assault,” said Vice President for Political Planning Donna Lent.
Meanwhile, Xian, a Democrat, issued a public pledge Wednesday, that if she is elected to Congress, she will donate half of her salary to organizations that assist needy children and the elderly in Hawaii.
“I work for the people of Hawai’i, not for profit,” said Xian. “Until all of Hawai’i’s people are able to earn a living wage, I will donate half of my pay to groups that meet the basic needs of our state’s most vulnerable populations.”
At the current representative’s salary, Xian would be contributing nearly $90,000 every year to locally run nonprofits that feed and care for Hawaii families.
“The community’s response has been tremendous,” Xian said. “People have approached me, wanting to contribute to our campaign because of this announcement. This is a perfect opportunity for each of us to consider donating a small portion of our next paycheck to an organization that directly serves the neediest members of our community.”