We first reported on Sherrie Mikhail Miday’s campaign when she officially filed to be a candidate for Judge in January. She won her primary election in May, taking her one step closer to being the first Copt elected Judge in United States history. Incredibly, her march toward history is even more inspiring than originally believed: our research reveals that Sherrie would be the first Egyptian elected to any office, including Judge, in U.S. history.

Sherrie’s ambition to ascend to the highest levels of civic life began at an early age. Her parents emigrated from Cairo to the U.S., in the 1970s.  Her father, the Very Reverend Father Mikhail Edward Mikhail, was the 8th Coptic Orthodox priest sent by the late H.H. Pope Shenouda III to minister to a growing Coptic congregation in the U.S. 

The Coptic Orthodox Church in the U.S. was growing ...

We first reported on Sherrie Mikhail Miday’s campaign when she officially filed to be a candidate for Judge in January. She won her primary election in May, taking her one step closer to being the first Copt elected Judge in United States history. Incredibly, her march toward history is even more inspiring than originally believed: our research reveals that Sherrie would be the first Egyptian elected to any office, including Judge, in U.S. history.

Sherrie’s ambition to ascend to the highest levels of civic life began at an early age. Her parents emigrated from Cairo to the U.S., in the 1970s.  Her father, the Very Reverend Father Mikhail Edward Mikhail, was the 8th Coptic Orthodox priest sent by the late H.H. Pope Shenouda III to minister to a growing Coptic congregation in the U.S. 

The Coptic Orthodox Church in the U.S. was growing, yet still young, when Abouna Mikhail, started St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in East Cleveland, Ohio. Sherrie spent a lot of her childhood with her father, mother, Seham and brother, Bishoy, travelling in their station wagon from city to city. Sherrie’s notion of public service was ingrained from her family’s dedication to God and the church and observing her father’s unwavering service to the growing congregation.  

One way to measure the effectiveness of a candidate’s campaign is to look at who is supporting the person. Sherrie’s most important endorsement was her first one: Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. “To have the support from someone I have long admired is truly humbling and a blessing. She’s courageous, bold and genuine in her approach to issues and people. Having the encouragement from a national leader of her stature has made me work even harder,” said Sherrie.

Sherrie has since received another very important endorsement: City of Cleveland Mayor, Frank G. Jackson, who recently made national headlines as a result of winning the competition to host the 2016 Republican Convention. Sherrie commented, “He is an incredible man and mayor. I’m fortunate to have his support – the people of Cleveland trust him and that is the true measure of any public servant.”

From the beginning, Sherrie has felt strongly about including everyone – around the country and overseas—in this election. This stems from her belief in giving. “I am teaching my children, as I was taught, that in giving, we give back that which God has entrusted us with and in giving we are worshiping God.”

Sherrie’s strong belief in being inclusive explains why she says often, “This election is not just about me. It’s also about the Copts, the Egyptians, and the greater Arab-American community here and abroad.”

For symbolic reasons and to signal her seriousness about running for Judge, Sherrie, her father and brother decided to travel across the nation to California. As the first Copt to run for Judge, she wanted to pay homage to the first established Coptic Church in the U.S, St. Mark Orthodox Church in Los Angeles. The trip also represented her desire to connect with people personally to explain why she’s qualified and ready for the bench.

The busy traffic layered over a packed schedule in Los Angeles and Orange Counties made for a frenzied four-day trip. But, it was memorable and rewarding. Smiling, Sherrie recalled a meeting where she presented herself before 60 clergy. “I explained, in a nervous voice, that I had never spoke before 60 priests. They, in turn, laughed and said, “We have never been talked to by someone like you.”

“That trip, I felt, connected me in a deeper way to the Church. The spirit, love and encouragement I felt and received is difficult to describe other than saying that my reasons for running for Judge—my will to win—begins and ends with my faith in God; it’s what is driving me to do everything I can to show to the voters that I am the best candidate for the bench.”

Heading into the last 100 days of the election, Sherrie has made an unprecedented decision to running TV ads. It’s uncommon for judicial candidates to do commercials. Simply, they are too costly, which is one reason Sherrie’s campaign is planning a trip to New Jersey and New York at the end of September.

She’s confident that she’ll be successful with raising money there and believes if everyone around the country contributes, even a small amount, she will be able to purchase enough commercials to convey to the more than 1.2 million residents, that she is the best candidate for Judge.

 

To learn more about Sherrie Miday, visit www.midayforjudge.com

Source: CopticWorld reporting