On Feb. 3, 2023, LaRouche Youth leader and organizer José Vega, well-known for his interventions exposing the lying hypocrisy of such figures as Joe Biden, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mike Pompeo, Nancy Pelosi, and others, officially announced his 2024 campaign for the U.S. Congress from the Bronx, New York. He will be running as an independent in New York’s 15th Congressional District, where AIPAC’s current lunkhead, Rep. Richie Torres, now holds office. Vega announced his campaign on the Jimmy Dore Show, where he was a featured guest. Around 6,000 viewers saw the announcement live.
Guest host Russell Dobular (who also hosts the popular YouTube channel “Due Dissidence") introduced Vega by airing one of his viral interventions. Dobular noted the recent protests against government officials for their support of Israel’s barbaric military campaign against Gaza. Most prominent of these officials is President Biden himself, who has seemingly not been able to give a speech without the majority of his audience interrupting to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. Dobular gave credit to Vega and his cohorts for inspiring these mass actions.
In their discussion, Vega referenced the Chicago City Council’s passing a ceasefire resolution on Jan. 31, in which Mayor Brandon Johnson broke a 23-23 tie. Many young people, including over 1,000 high schoolers from 10 different schools in the city, came out to support the resolution, Vega stressed. He added, “Whether you like it or not, you are a U.S. citizen. The actions that your country is doing is a reflection of you.”
Emphasizing that his campaign was not merely another electoral campaign, but a campaign for action and hope, Vega encouraged all his would-be supporters and viewers to intervene as he has done, along with volunteering to petition to gather signatures for ballot-access.
As readers of EIR are aware, LaRouche Independent Diane Sare, today running for U.S. Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand in New York, was required to gather 45,000 signatures for ballot-access in 2022 when she ran against Chuck Schumer, as the result of an onerous change from the previous 15,000 required by the state. Vega remarked on his participation in that petition drive, which will be much more difficult this time. He called for 400 volunteers to aid in his petition drive.
