Kulkarni for Dist. 22
Democrat offers party best chance to flip U.S. House seat left open by retiring Olson.
Democrats came within striking distance of flipping U.S. House District 22 two years ago, when longtime Rep. Pete Olson eked out only a 5-point victory over Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni.
This fall, Olson, who is retiring, will be on the sidelines and Kulkarni, 41, hopes to make an even better showing. But first, he will have to win his own party’s March 3 primary, where he’s facing a strong contender in former Pearland City Council member Derrick Reed, who also spent four years as a former Harris County prosecutor.
A former electrical engineer and member of the patent bar who grew up in the shadow of a drug-addicted mother in and out of jail, Reed has a powerful story of grit and survival to share. He also can show surprising results working with Republicans and other conservatives on the Pearland City Council. He has a strong future in politics.
Also running is Nyanza Moore, a lawyer and mother in a family hit hard by medical tragedy who vows to improve federal health care policy. A fourth candidate, Carmine Petrillo III is also on the ballot.
We see Kulkarni as the strongest possible candidate for Democrats hoping to turn the seat blue. A former Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State, Kulkarni is the son of an immigrant father and a mother whose family descends from Sam Houston. That mix of insider and outsider perspectives has served him well in a career that involved compromise and dialogue with hostile parties all over the world. He seems to prioritize civility and is open to finding common ground with those who differ from him ideologically.
He said he quit his post in the Foreign Service in 2017 when it became difficult to defend positions adopted by President Trump on race and immigration and decided to run for Congress. But for all his global perspective – he says he speaks six languages well – Kulkarni impressed us with his commitment to help people in his district. He wants Congress to remove marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic so it can more readily be used as medicine for veterans and others whom it can help. He also promised to help area residents reduce the flood risk along the Gulf Coast region.
Given his close finish against Olson two years ago, Democrats can be optimistic about Kulkarni’s prospects for flipping the seat. He’s raised enough money for his campaign to contest even the bestfinanced Republican opposition in November. We recommend Democrats take advantage of that head start and vote for him in the primary.