ANCA unveils US election agenda: Artsakh, prisoners of war, sanctions against Baku

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has released its 2026 scorecard of members of the US Congress and its list of endorsed candidates for the elections. The organization has also launched an election program designed to highlight issues important to the Armenian American community and to inform voters about candidates’ positions.

The committee rated all members of the US Senate and House of Representatives on more than 70 criteria related to defending the interests of Armenia and Artsakh, ensuring accountability for Azerbaijan, and lawmakers’ positions on US foreign policy. In this election cycle, the Armenian National Committee of America is endorsing 63 candidates for the US Senate and House of Representatives.

In this context, ANCA’s political priorities are:

🔹Holding Azerbaijan accountable for the de-Armenization of Artsakh and protecting the right of Artsakh Armenians to return safely;
🔹Freeing Armenian prisoners and hostages held in Baku;
🔹Defending Armenia’s sovereignty and security and strengthening the Armenian-American partnership;
🔹Restricting US military aid to Azerbaijan and ensuring full implementation of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act;
🔹Imposing sanctions on Azerbaijani officials, including under the Global Magnitsky Act;
🔹Promoting efforts to secure recognition of the Armenian Genocide and to raise public awareness of it.

The scoring system takes into account support for legislative initiatives, co-signing of relevant letters to Congress, membership in the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus, statements on the Armenian Genocide, and engagement with the Armenian American community.

The committee has included both Democrats and Republicans among its endorsed candidates, stressing that its approach is based not on party affiliation but on candidates’ positions and actions regarding Armenia and Artsakh.

The organization is paying particular attention to a number of competitive races, including the Senate races in New Hampshire and Michigan, and the House race in Texas’s 28th congressional district. Finally, the committee is opposing Congressman Henry Cuellar, citing the bribery charges brought against him in a case linked to Azerbaijan and his foreign policy actions in favor of Azerbaijan. Cuellar received a presidential pardon in December 2025, before the start of the trial.

The committee’s scorecard is available at: anca.org/electionhub.