63 state and local South Asian American leaders endorse Kamala Harris

As many as 63 South Asian American state and local elected officials from across the country have endorsed likely Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Devi Harris.

“As South Asian elected officials, we proudly support Kamala Harris in her historic bid to become the first South Asian American woman President of the United States,” the leaders stated through Indian American Impact, a leading community political advocacy group.

Throughout her career, Harris, alongside President Joe Biden, has championed and enacted policies that have uplifted not only South Asian Americans, but all Americans, the leaders noted.

“This includes the strongest legislation in combating climate change ever, fiercely defending voting rights, protecting our children from gun violence, reducing student debt, and lowering prescription drug costs,” they stated.

READ: Kamala Harris can prevent Trump from dragging US towards authoritarianism: Salman Rushdie (July 29, 2024)

“She is the nation’s fiercest champion on abortion rights and makes the strongest case for why women should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies.”

“As the daughter of an Indian immigrant mother, Kamala Harris will also create a fairer and more inclusive immigration system,” they stated. “As an exceptional coalition builder, Harris possesses an extraordinary ability to unite our nation at a time when the stakes have never been higher.”

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“Moreover, her victory would send a powerful signal to all Asian Americans, communities of color, and women,” the leaders wrote. “By helping so many reimagine what is possible, a President Kamala Harris would affirm that the American Dream isn’t just an aspiration, but an achievable reality.”

Signatories are:

Aruna Katragadda Miller, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland;
Senator Manka Dhingra, Deputy Majority Leader, Washington State Senate;
North Carolina Senate Democratic Whip Jay J. Chaudhuri;
New Jersey Senate Majority Conference Leader Vin Gopal;
New York State Senator Jeremy Cooney;
Virginia State Senator Ghazala Hashmi;
Georgia State Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes;
North Carolina State Senator Mujtaba A. Mohammed;
Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman;
Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale;
State Senator Saddam Azlan Salim;
Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval;
Michigan State Senator Sam Singh;
Virginia State Senator Suhas Subramanyam;
Arizona Senator Priya Sundareshan;
New York State Senator Kevin Thomas;
Michigan House Majority Whip Ranjeev Puri;
New Mexico House Majority Whip Reena Szczepanski;
Texas State Representative Salman Bhojani;
State Representative Nima Kulkarni;
Dr Suleman Lalani , Texas State Representative HD 76;
State Representative Latha Mangipudi;
Anita Somani MD, State Representative Ohio District 11;
Iowa State Representative Dr. Megan L. Srinivas;
Virginia State Delegate Kannan Srinivasan;
Pennsylvania State Representative Arvind Venkat;
Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija;
KP George, Fort Bend County Judge;
Dr. Ajay Raman, Oakland County (MI) Commissioner – 14th District;
Burlington County (NJ) Commissioner Balvir Singh;
Middlesex County Commissioner, Deputy Director Shanti Narra Middlesex County, NJ;
Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati;
Pavan V. Parikh, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts (Ohio);
PK Kaiser, Arapahoe County Assessor, Colorado;
Vice Mayor Chantel Raghu (Oxford, Ohio);
Morrisville, NC Mayor Pro Tem Satish Garimella;
Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Priya Bhat-Patel;
NYS Senate 44 Candidate / Commissioner of Saratoga Springs Minita Sanghvi;
Philadelphia Councilmember Nina Ahmad;
Councilwoman Aditi Bussells;
Charlotte City Councilmember Dimple Ajmera;
Tredyffrin Supervisor K.S. Bhaskar;
Pradip Dhakal, Herndon Town Councilman, Virginia and candidate for Mayor;
Shreekant Dhopte Committeeman from Chesterfield NJ;
Cherry Hill New Jersey Councilmember Sangeeta Doshi;
West Windsor Councilwoman Sonia Gawas;
Councilwoman Archana Grover;
Beaverton City Councilor Nadia Hasan;
Pittsford Town Councilmember Naveen Havannavar;
City of Berkeley Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani;
New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan D-25;
Kristin Malhotra – Trustee, Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio
Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri;
Steve Rao Council Member, Town of Morrisville;
Ithaca Alderman Pierre Saint-Perez;
Knoxville Council member Seema Singh;
Fairfax County School Board Member Rachna Sizemore Heizer;
SpringFord Area School District Director Sagar Sharma;
School Board Director Anisha N. Shah;
CA Commissioner on APIA Affairs, CADEM Delegate, PUSD BOE Trustee Dr. Darshana Patel;
Stamford, CT Board of Education Member Versha Munshi-South
Stafford MSD Trustee Ash Hamirani;
and School Board Director Pooja Chanda.

Since the announcement of Harris’ presidential bid Indian American Impact Fund has taken several steps to mobilize South Asian support including the launch of its Desi President campaign. The site serves as a one-stop-hub for the South Asian American electorate to support Kamala Harris, featuring a volunteer hub, merch store, and digital content library.

Chintan Patel, Executive Director of the Indian American Impact Fund, said, “The past week has been a testament to the energy and dedication of the South Asian American community. We are committed to harnessing this momentum to support Kamala Harris and ensure our voices are heard in this pivotal election.”

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