Rise of Indian Americans
FIVE FROM THE COMMUNITY ELECTED TO US CONGRESS
FIVE Indian American Democrats – Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Shri Thanedar and Pramila Jayapal – have been voted to the House of Representatives last Wednesday (9) following the highly polarised mid-term elections.
The new US Congress will begin in January next year. In addition to the five politicians, many others from the community won across the country to state legislatures.
The current House of Representatives has four Indian-origin Democrats – Krishnamoorthi from the eighth Congressional District of Illinois; Khanna from the 17th Congressional District of California; Bera from the sixth Congressional district of California and Jayapal from the seventh Congressional District of Washington State.
Khanna swept the 17th Congressional District (for the fourth consecutive term), with more than 70 per cent of the votes polled against his Republican rival, Indian American Ritesh Tandon.
Krishnamoorthi, 49, also won his fourth consecutive term by defeating Republican candidate Chris Dargis by a margin of over 12 per cent of the vote.
In his victory speech, Krishnamoorthi, who was attacked by right-wing fundamentalists during the election campaign, called on all candidates to “denounce violence and bigotry” and “focus on what we share in common as Americans”.
“Whatever side you’re on in this election, those on the other side are not your enemy,” he said.
“We are all Americans and we must work together on behalf of a better and stronger nation.”
Krishnamoorthi serves on the house permanent select committee on intelligence, the house committee on oversight and reform and the select subcommittee on coronavirus.
“My parents came to this country with little more than a dream for their family’s future and the faith they could achieve it here in America,” Krishnamoorthi said.
“And despite some hard times, we did. Now, we need to make sure that those opportunities continue for all of our people, whether they’ve been here for generations, or are relatively new to our shores,” he added.
Chennai-born Jayapal, 57, the first and the only Indian-American woman in the House of Representatives, swept the seventh Congressional district of Washington State with more than 85 per cent of the votes polled against her Republican rival Cliff Moon. This marked her fourth consecutive term.
Joining them in the next Congress will be Thanedar, 67, from the 13th Congressional District of Michigan, who will make his debut in the house.
Thanedar who came to the US with just $20 (£16.7) in his pocket and went on to be a successful entrepreneur, received 72 per cent votes in the 13th Congressional District of Michigan against his Republican rival, Martell Bivings.
Thanedar wants to make healthcare mandatory for every US citizen and plans to focus on immigration and human rights in the House.
“We did it! I’m honored to be the next Representative in Congress for the 13th District!” Thanedar said, after results started coming in.
Bera, 57, who is seeking his sixth consecutive term, was leading by more than 12 per cent of the votes against his Republican rival, Tamika Hamilton, as per the latest reports, with 52 per cent of the votes polled being counted.
Indian-American candidates also picked up seats in state legislatures. In Maryland, Aruna Miller scripted history by becoming the first Indian-American politician to win the race of Lieutenant Governor. Miller, 58, a former delegate to the Maryland House, was on the Lieutenant Governor ticket along with Wes Moore – the Democratic Governor-elect.
However, Sandeep Srivastava lost from Texas’s third Congressional district to Keith Self, the former Colin County judge.