By Dr. Frank Islam
Courtesy - South Asia Monitor
The Indian American
community has propelled its way to relevance in American politics over the past
two decades. The representation of the community has increased at every level
with each election cycle, writes Frank F. Islam for South Asia Monitor
Much of the focus of the
US election coverage in the Indian and Indian American media has been about how
both presidential nominees, President Donald Trump and former Vice President
Joe Biden, have been courting Indian American voters. A less written about the
fact is there are dozens of Indian American candidates in this election cycle
running for federal, state, and local offices.
If Joe Biden defeats
President Trump in November, Senator Kamala Harris will be leaving the Senate
to serve as the Vice President of the United States.
Indian Americans a rising
political force
But that will probably
not end the Indian American representation in the US Senate next January.
Democrat Sara Gideon, who
is half Indian American, like Harris, has an excellent chance of ousting
incumbent Senator Susan Collins in Maine. Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House of
Representatives, currently leads Collins, one of the most endangered GOP (Grand
Old Party) senators by 6.5 percentage points in RealClearPolitics average of
polls.
Gideon is not the only
Indian American on the ballot for US Senate this November. Republican Rik
Mehta, a biotech entrepreneur, and lawyer, is taking on Senator Cory Booker in
New Jersey. Mehta is a heavy underdog against Booker, a popular senator, and
former presidential candidate. His candidacy, however, indicates the rising
importance of Indian Americans in the electoral process.
In the US Congress, four
Indian American members are seeking re-election - Representatives Ami Bera, Ro
Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoorthi - they are expected to retain
their seats.
Two Democrats, Sri
Kulkarni in Texas and Hiral Tipirneni, in Arizona, are in tight congressional
races, each vying to become the first Indian American to get elected from their
respective state.
Kulkarni, a former US
diplomat, is running for the 22nd congressional district in Texas, which is an
open seat in suburban Houston. Two years ago, he narrowly lost the district to
the Republican incumbent, who is retiring from the House at the end of this
year.
Tipirneni, a medical
doctor, is similarly engaged in a competitive race in Arizona’s 6th district.
Like Kulkarni, she made an unsuccessful run two years ago.
According to the Cook
Political Report, an independent group that rates various races, both districts
are toss-ups. This means that they are highly competitive contests in
which any candidate can win.
Rise of Indian Americans
in public offices
For further proof of the
coming of age of the Indian American community in electoral politics, one
doesn’t need to go beyond Tipirneni’s district. The candidate the Mumbai-born
doctor defeated to win her party’s nomination was also an Indian American,
Anita Malik.
At the state level, more
than half a dozen Indian American state lawmakers across the country are
seeking re-election.
They include - New York
Sen. Kevin Thomas, Washington State Sen. Manka Dhingra, North Carolina Sen. Jay
Chaudhuri, Vermont Sen. Kesha Ram, Washington State Rep. Vandana Slatter,
Kentucky Rep. Nima Kulkarni, Michigan Rep. Padma Kuppa and Arizona Rep. Amish
Shah. All these legislators are Democrats.
In Ohio, Republican Niraj
Antani, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2014, at the
age of 23, is running for the state senate, and is expected to win.
Additionally, more than
half a dozen Indian Americans are seeking positions in various statehouses.
Some of them, such as Jeremy Cooney, a candidate for the New York state senate,
are veterans of previous races. Others are newcomers gunning for state legislatures
for the first time. They include young and highly accomplished candidates
like Rupande Mehta (New Jersey Senate), Nikil Saval (Pennsylvania Senate), and
Jenifer Rajkumar (New York House).
Indian Americans are not
just running for state and federal legislative offices. From coast to
coast, they are also making beelines for various state and local executive
offices, ranging from state agencies and county positions to mayoral offices
and school boards.
For example, Duke
University professor and the former US President Barack Obama's economic
advisor Ronnie Chatterji is running for treasurer in North Carolina. And, in
Virginia, Republican Puneet Ahluwalia just announced his candidacy for the
lieutenant governor.
The Indian American
community has propelled its way to relevance in American politics over the past
two decades. The representation of the community has increased at every level
with each election cycle. The substantial number of Indian American candidates
who are on the ballot this year is proof of progress that has been made.
Shaping US politics and
policies
Why does it matter that a
much larger number of Indian Americans are holding and seeking political
offices? What is its significance?
It is significant because
in democratic society participation and representation in the political process
matters. It matters enormously in terms of the shaping and structuring of
policies and programs and how they are implemented.
The Indian American
community is one of the more recent immigrant groups in the United States. It
is also one of the fastest-growing communities. It is important for the
community to participate in the political process and make sure its voices are
heard.
Politicians make the
decisions on a myriad number of issues such as war and peace at the national
level to resource allocation for education and infrastructure maintenance and
development at the local level. Therefore, it is important to be at the
table where decisions are made. As the old saying goes, “If you are not at the
table, you will be on the menu.”
Indian Americans need to
be at the table not just for Indian Americans but for the future of
America.
They need to be at that
table to contribute to the strengthening of American democracy. They need
to be at that table to contribute to the forming of a “more perfect union”
which will have seats at the table for all regardless of race, religion, or
country of origin.
(The writer is an
entrepreneur, civic and thought leader based in Washington DC. The views
expressed are personal)
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