Indian-American candidate for U.S. Congress from the 13th District in Michigan, Shri Thanedar, won the Democratic primary August 2, 2022.

Thanedar, who has been in the State House of Representatives since 2021, will now be pitted against Republican Martell Bivings in the Nov. 8 general election. The Cook Political Report considers District 13 as safely and solidly Democratic. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib represented the 13th in the U.S. Congress but is now running from Michigan’s 12th District where she also won the Democratic primary Aug. 2.

An entrepreneur and author, Thanedar beat out 7 other Democrats to win the primary. He considers economic inequality as the “largest challenge” in representing the 13th district.

According to Indian American Impact “Despite SuperPACs spending over $6.5 million in an unprecedented financial push to keep Thanedar off the November ballot, Shri and his campaign manager — former Indian American Impact political director, Linto Thomas — were successful in securing Shri’s victory over the Detroit area.”

Thanedar says he was born and brought up in a poor family of 10 in India, “where I remember going to the river to get drinking water. After my father retired, it fell to me to care for my family, so I worked as a janitor while in college.”

He came to the U.S. at the age of 24, according to his bio on the campaign website.

Starting as a teaching assistant in 1979, “My $300 monthly salary wasn’t much to live on – especially after sending $75 each month to help my family still living in India. But through hard work and a little bit of luck, I was able to earn an MBA and a PhD in Chemistry,” he says.

After graduation he worked as a research scholar at the University of Michigan.

But his “real passion” was for being an entrepreneur, and over the last 25 years he has built several small businesses. His answers to Ballotpedia’s questionnaire show he was CEO and owner of Chemir Analytical Services, chairman and owner of Azopharma Contract Phamaceutical Services, and founder and co-owner of Analytical Services. He is also enrolled as a post-doctoral research scholar with the University of Michigan, having earned his PhD from the University of Akron in 1982 and an M.B.A. from Fontbonne University in 1988.

He is most proud of creating “more than 500 well-paying jobs that helped families.”

“Shri Thanedar’s primary win is a historic first for the South Asian community. We at Indian American Impact congratulate Shri and his campaign manager, Linto Thomas, for executing a powerful campaign and moving forward Shri’s candidacy for Congressman in Detroit, Michigan, Neil Makhija, executive director of Indian American Impact is quoted saying in a press release Aug. 3.

“It has been an incredible campaign, and I am so grateful to have your support. Thank you to my amazing team, my family, and the volunteers who helped make this campaign successful,” Thanedar tweeted Aug. 3 which the primary results were declared.

“As a politically underrepresented and under-engaged community, Indian Americans nationwide are celebrating Shri’s victory. Every seemingly small win throughout the country establishes immeasurable progress in our battle to expand Indian American representation within our elected government,” Makhija said, adding, “What happens in primaries over the course of this year matters, and the work we do to elect politicians that look and think like us creates the foundation necessary for our community to participate in conversations we’ve been excluded from for far too long.”

Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat who is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, met Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen along with Pelosi and other members of the Congressional delegation on Wednesday in Taipei.

Sending a pointed message to Beijing, Krishnamoorthi and the members of the delegation also met with Tiananmen Square protest leader Wu’er Kaixi, exiled Hong Kong dissident Lam Wing-kei and Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa, chairman of the Taipei-based foundation of the Dalai Lama during a visit to the National Human Rights Museum, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.

Krishnamoorthi now faces threats from China of action against him personally.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had warned that “those who offend China will be punished”.

Responding to reporters’ questions about it, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Wednesday: “What I can say is that what needs to be done will be done and these measures will be resolute, strong and effective.”

Beijing officials have denounced the delegation’s visit as a provocation and an infringement of China’s territorial integrity because it considers Taiwan an integral part of the nation.

Although President Joe Biden’s administration has come around to backing the Congressional delegation’s right to visit Taiwan, it did not endorse the idea of the trip when it was floated because of fears of China’s retaliation and introducing more complications to relations with it.

Biden had said that the Pentagon did not think such a visit was advisable now.

In a rare show of solidarity with Pelosi, many Republicans who are usually opposed to her came out in support of her.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party leader in the Senate, and 25 other Senators including Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s top Republican Jim Risch issued a statement supporting the Pelosi trip.

Krishnamoorthi, who represents a constituency comprising Chicago suburbs, is a hawk on China.

A bill authored by him to assess “grey zone activities” of China and others against the US through actions like disinformation campaigns and terrorism financing and another to monitor risks to US technology from China-United Arab Emirates cooperation were adopted by the House earlier this year.

The defence budget adopted by Congress in 2020 incorporated wording pushed by him urging China to end aggression against India against the Line of Actual Control in the Himalayas.

The Congressional delegation’s Taiwan trip has provided an opportunity for Chinese President Xi Jinping to arouse nationalist fervour before the Communist Party Congress later this year that must endorse him for a third term as its leader while the country is facing an economic slowdown and risks from Covid spread.

China has announced live ammunition drills around Taiwan on Thursday and has already sent aircraft and naval vessels close to or into its air and sea spaces.

The Congressional delegation began its Asian tour with a stop in Hawaii for consultations with the US Indo-Pacific Command.

It went to Singapore and Malaysia before going to Taiwan and is visiting South Korea and Japan

–IANS

Indian American Dimple Ajmera has been re-elected to the position of Councillor at Charlotte, North Carolina City Council. She was previously elected for the same position in 2017 when she became the first Asian-American and youngest woman to be elected to the Charlotte City Council.

Ajmera won against fellow Democrat Braxton Winston in the at-large race held on 27 July 2022 with 16.55 percent of the votes as opposed to Winston’s 16.3 percent, as per Charlotte city’s local media reports.

Ajmera took to Twitter to express her gratitude towards the voters of Charlotte city and promised to work towards addressing pressing issues such as crime and congestion.

Indian American Dimple Ajmera has been re-elected to the position of Councillor at Charlotte, North Carolina City Council. She was previously elected for the same position in 2017 when she became the first Asian-American and youngest woman to be elected to the Charlotte City Council.

Ajmera won against fellow Democrat Braxton Winston in the at-large race held on 27 July 2022 with 16.55 percent of the votes as opposed to Winston’s 16.3 percent, as per Charlotte city’s local media reports.

Ajmera took to Twitter to express her gratitude towards the voters of Charlotte city and promised to work towards addressing pressing issues such as crime and congestion.

Having immigrated to the United States from Gujarat, India, along with her family when she was 16-years-old, Ajmera knew little English when she was in high school. Prior to moving to Charlotte eight years ago to take up a financial service job, Ajmera graduated from the University of Southern California and served as a CPA in Los Angeles.

“As someone who once struggled to speak English, and for someone who is an immigrant, I’m just so grateful for all of the opportunities that have been given to me. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would even serve in public office.”

– Dimple Ajmera, Councillor At-Large, Charlotte City Council, North Carolina

Even though this election was to be held in November 2021, the city of Charlotte postponed the elections until 2022 due to delays in receiving population data from the US Census.

In 2017, Ajmera was appointed to the City Council to fill a vacant East Charlotte seat. She went on to win citywide seats later on in 2017 and once more in 2019.

In 2020, she lost to Indian American Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji in the Democratic primaries for the position of North Carolina treasurer.

Ajmera has also been recognised as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Mecklenburg County by The Mecklenburg Times and named in Charlotte Business Journal’s ’40 Under 40′.

Maryland Gubernatorial candidate, Wes Moore, and his Indian-American running mate, candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Aruna Miller, won the tightly contested Maryland Democratic primary held on July 19th. Both are positioned to make history, if they win the November general elections – as Moore will be the first Black Governor of Maryland, and Miller the first Indian-American Lieutenant Governor of any US state.

Initially, there were delays in the announcement of election results as Maryland law only allows the counting of mail-in ballots two days post the in-person election. Once the votes were counted, Moore emerged winner against former Labor Secretary, and Democratic National Committee, Chairman, Tom Perez, and Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, who came second, and third respectively.

“As an immigrant and a proud Indian-American, I will work to ensure that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people will look like the people,” Miller told News India Times, adding, “I could not be more proud of the support we built across the state. Our vision of increased economic opportunity and inclusivity is resonating with Marylanders, and I am confident that the unparalleled coalition we have built will continue to grow as we unite with a common goal: securing Maryland’s future.”

Miller who came to the US from India as a 7-year-old, had to overcome a lot of cultural and language barriers, in addition to discrimination. When she was in college her father faced health issues and eventually became unemployed, which led to her seek scholarships and financial assistance to become a civil engineer.

If elected, she’ll be the first Indian American Lt. Governor of any state, and the first woman of color in Maryland to hold the position. She said, “moments like these have little to do with being the first and more to do with not being the last. Every time candidates from communities of color run for office, it has a trickle-down effect as they cast the electoral net wider and engage more voters. This, in turn, strengthens our promise of a representative democracy.”

Miller added, “when candidates and elected officials reflect on the diversity of their communities, racial/ethnic/religious minorities feel less political alienation and have more trust in government. As a result, they are more likely to participate in various civic activities, vote, and will consider running for political office in the future too.”

She was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010, the first Indian-American woman to achieve that distinction.

As far as plans to win the general elections, Miller’s focus will now be to unite Marylanders and share the Moore-Miller vision for the state that promises to leave no one behind. “We have comprehensive plans to tackle the urgent issues facing families in Maryland like education and the economy, crime and public safety, veterans and senior services, high quality healthcare, climate change and equal rights for all. And we will win by working tirelessly to present our vision for Maryland’s future to the electorate ahead of November.”

After their primary win, Moore, who will be the first black Governor of Maryland, if elected,

tweeted, “on behalf of my family and my incredible running mate Aruna Miller, THANK YOU. The stakes could not be higher, but together, we’ll meet this moment with urgency and leadership. Maryland WILL be a state where we leave no one behind.”

He recently commended measures in President Joe Biden’s Safer America Plan that aims to keep communities safe from gun violence, reform justice system and police, and empower community-based violence intervention. “It’s important that Maryland has a governor that will address act aggressively and with urgency to address gun violence and keep Marylanders safe. Our comprehensive public safety plan will build on the actions taken in Pres. Biden’s plan to meet this goal.”

Democrats are vying to retake the Governor’s mansion as the incumbent Governor Larry Hogan, a moderate Republican, is term-limited and cannot seek re-election as the Governor of Maryland. Notably, after the primary results were announced, Hogan refused to endorse the Republican Gubernatorial candidate, Dan Cox, endorsed by President Trump, who still believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Cox and her running mate Gordana Schifanelli will face Moore and Miller in the November general elections.

Indian American Impact is an organisation that has been supporting many of them on their journey and elevating the voices of Indian Americans and South Asians to make sure that each stage of the US authorities represents them. “Despite their essential roles in business, medicine, and many other crucial fields of work, South Asians don’t feel heard or represented in our current system. South Asian candidates, many of whom are second generation or younger members of their respective communities, are looking to build an America that represents them,” Neil Makhija, govt director of Indian American Impact, advised Times of India. “We’re witnessing an unprecedented number of Indian American candidates, and the number seems to grow exponentially across all levels of government each year,” he added.

Impact is supporting a number of Indian American candidates operating throughout America in native, state, and federal elections. This consists of Aruna Miller who has lately gained the Democratic social gathering main nomination for lieutenant governor for the state of Maryland, together with Wes Moore as governor. If she wins the November 2022 election, she is going to make historical past as the primary Indian American lady to function lieutenant governor within the state. “Many are vying to be historic candidates and the first representatives of South Asian descent to hold their seats. We will continue to roll out endorsements as the general election gets closer, we anticipate about 30 endorsements this year.

That number alone speaks to the exponential increase in South Asians running for office each year,” Makhija stated. He added that it was necessary for community members to not really feel like strangers in their very own nation and step up and lead. Many of the candidates that Impact helps want to champion causes that meet the political second head on, together with gun reform, reproductive rights, and support for working households. “They’re Americans, and they’re ready to deliver policies that lift up all communities and tackle the unjust systems that plague us all,” Makhija stated.

In addition to a public endorsement from Impact, candidates obtain monetary support in compliance with state contribution guidelines. “We encourage our endorsed candidates to engage with our national network of supporters and partners, which is particularly helpful for state wide elections where name recognition and campaign reach go a long way,” Makhija added. Support for a specific candidate is dependent upon the assets a marketing campaign has available. For the campaigns that want it, Impact gives strategic voter engagement support, notably inside the South Asian communities. Before endorsing a candidate, the organisation appears carefully at each the person and their marketing campaign to evaluate the intention, identification and initiative behind their run for workplace. “We want to know what their unique experiences are, what public service means to them, and how they plan to represent and support the South Asian community. Ultimately, we endorse candidates who meet the values of our organisation, and share our goals: uplifting South Asian communities, and building a fairer, more just world for all Americans,” Makhija stated.

Indiaspora, a Washington DC primarily based, non-revenue organisation of excessive profile Indian Americans, too, has focussed in an enormous means on supporting Indian Americans enter the political enviornment. “We wanted to help Indian Americans who were making a foray into the political arena. Though we cannot raise funds as an organisation, through the last three election cycles, many of our members have contributed thousands of dollars towards the election campaigns of many Indian Americans running for various offices,” Indiaspora’s founder and chairman, M.R. Rangaswami, stated.

credits:Times of India