Lebanese American Richard Ashooh Confirmed as Assistant Commerce Secretary
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On Thursday, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed former Republican congressional candidate, Lebanese American Rich Ashooh, of New Hampshire to be assistant commerce secretary heading up export administration.
Ashooh is the second Arab American to be appointed in the Trump administration after Dina Habib Powell, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy to the President.
Last fall, in his second bid for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional seat, Ashooh lost in the primary to incumbent Republican Congressman Frank Guinta in the GOP primary. Guinta lost his seat to Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, who currently serves as the incumbent U.S. Representative.
Ashooh spent more than two decades in the aerospace industry with Lockheed Martin and as Vice President of Government Relations for BAE Systems. He was also executive director of the Warren Rudman Center at the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
In an interview with the Arab American Institute (AAI) last fall, Ashooh spoke about his grandparents who immigrated from Lebanon and the support he received from the Arab American community during his campaign. Ashooh stated that the Arab American community is “a large extended family that you didn’t know you had.”
Ashooh and his wife, Lori have five children.
Compiled by Arab America