JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A Russian immigrant nudged into politics after President Trump’s election is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Alaska.
Dimitri Shein (Shayne) is one of four candidates competing in the Aug. 21 primary, with independent Alyse Galvin mounting a vigorous campaign for the party nod.
The winner is expected to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young, who has held the seat for longer than Shein has been alive.
Shein is a naturalized U.S. citizen who runs a mail-order planter business. He says he wasn’t politically active until after Trump’s election, when he said he began to fear for the safety of his Alaska Native children when they walked down the street.
Shein’s major campaign issue is Medicare for all, a concept popularized by Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.