The Sun also rises

The sun is rising on a new generation of political leaders in America and the list is growing in the Greek American community in particular. Alexi Giannoulias of Illinois is a prime example of a young man with a promising career in private life (banking) but who instead decided to “bank” his future in public service.

“I think getting people in office who are not only Greek-Americans, but qualified, capable, intelligent, passionate Greek leaders, is extremely important,” says Giannoulias, the Illinois state treasurer and youngest elected in U.S. history. “I also think if they see someone who’s young, with energy and enthusiasm, really excited about public service, they might get excited too.”

Gus Bilirakis from Florida has his father Mike’s example. The elder Bilirakis was a mainstay of the Florida congressional delegation and Gus honed his own political skills in his father’s campaigns—in fact, he was the one who convinced his father to run for public office. “I was 18 years old and in high school when I encouraged him to run for Congress; it was an open congressional seat,” says Gus. “We had these testing-the-waters meetings and he didn’t plan to run, it just happened.”

Florida is a hotbed of political activity lately, with Governor Charlie Crist being mentioned prominently as a John McCain running mate. “Charlie would give Elvis a run for his money,” said Ken Pruitt, the Republican leader in the Florida state Senate. “That’s how popular he is in Florida. If McCain wants to win this state in November, Charlie Crist is a no-brainer [as running mate].”

Another political hotbed is Ohio, which has a sitting representative in Zach Space and two more making their bid: Jane Mitakides from Dayton and Jim Trakas from Cleveland. “I am running for Congress because I believe it is a time for leadership focused on an America of opportunity and optimism,” says Mitakides, expressing the aspirations that in fact brought many immigrants to America. And Jim Trakas has a compelling argument for a Greek American being elected: “As a Greek American, I have chosen to run for Congress with the wisdom that those who invented our democracy can help perfect it.”

And out west in Nevada there is the eternally-feisty Dina Titus, the state senate minority leader and a political science professor, who lost her bid to become governor but is now running for a House seat on a typically independent platform: “I am running for Congress because I believe the people in CD3 need and deserve a champion for their interests, not a pawn of the special interests. The first time I ran for office, I said, ‘I think for myself and nobody owns me.’ It was true then; it was true throughout my years in the State Senate; it is true now; and it will be true when I’m in Congress.”

Out west there is also Phil Angelides—Wait a second, is he running for something again?--Not right now, but with Schwarzenneger’s numbers tanking again can Angelides be quiet for very long?