Ashwin Ramaswami launches bid for Georgia State Senate

If elected, Ramaswami would become the first Indian American and the first Gen Z senator in Georgia legislature

Ashwin Ramaswami, an Indian American software engineer who has worked on election security, and technology law and policy research, has officially launched his bid for Georgia State Senate from Senate District 48.

If elected, Ramaswami, a second-generation immigrant, would be “the first Indian American in the Georgia State Senate, first Gen Z member, and the only State Senator with a computer science and a law degree.”

Democratic candidate Ramaswami, who previously worked at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), will take on Republican incumbent Shawn Still in the November election.

“Today, I officially launched my General Election campaign as the Democratic nominee for State Senate District 48,” he posted on LinkedIn. “I’m an election security expert running in my hometown against a fake elector who was indicted with (former President Donald) Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election results.”

READ: Ashwin Ramaswami running for Georgia State Senate (December 18, 2023)

“It’s time to move away from election deniers and partisan extremists and towards a Georgia where working families can get ahead and stay there, where every family lives in a community with safe streets and strong schools, and where every Georgian has the healthcare they need. I’m ready to get to work!”

Ramaswami’s campaign is backed by endorsements from prominent Democratic leaders such as Georgia Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Elena Parent, Georgia Democratic Whip Rep. Sam Park, and former Sen. Jason Carter. He is also backed by several organizations like The Next 50, Leaders We Deserve, 314 Action Fund, South Asians for America, and REAL Action Inc.,

“I enthusiastically endorse Ashwin Ramaswami to serve as District 48’s next State Senator because I know he is ready to lead on day one,” Park stated. “A fellow graduate of Chattahoochee High School, Ashwin has an impressive background in law and technology that prepares him to focus on the challenges of the future, not the small-minded political fights of the past. Most importantly, he has the heart of a public servant and the integrity to match.”

“We need more elected leaders in office like Ashwin Ramaswami,” said Carter. “His youth and energy and passion for a better Georgia shine through in everything he does. This is a candidate who knows how to win in a district that we need to win in November.”

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Ramaswami says he has built a career in software engineering, election security, and technology law and policy research. With over seven years of experience working to build tech startups, he has worked in the federal government on cybersecurity for three years.

He currently runs a consulting company around software architecture, technology law and policy. He attended Georgia Tech, Stanford University, and Georgetown University Law Center.

Ramaswami established and managed a cybersecurity program for state and local election officials at CISA and worked with states across the country, including GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office, to flag and fix election security problems in 2020 and 2022, according to his website.

He was also a fellow in the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, helping keep Georgians safe online and on social media.

He began teaching classes at Chinmaya Mission for middle and high schoolers about Hindu philosophy and culture, including the Bhagavad Gita. At Georgetown, he founded the Dharmic Law Student Organization (programs for Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Jain students) and helped raise $100,000 to establish an endowment.