How Raja Krishnamoorthi became a major player on Capitol Hill

Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has become a major Democratic player in the American capital since he was first elected in 2016 to represent Illinois’ 8th District.

Krishanmoorthi, who came to the United States from India with his family when he was three years old, now serves on the Oversight and Intelligence Committee, and the vitally important Committee on Strategic Competition between the US and China.

In addition to his role of Ranking Member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, he is also a member of the informal Samosa Caucus, which consists of the other four Indian Americans in Congress.

READ: Nonpartisan Common Ground Committee recognizes Raja Krishnamoorthi (July 26, 2023)

ABC7 Chicago featured Krishnamoorthi as part of the station’s efforts to highlight prominent members of the greater Chicago community during Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.

The profile piece, which can be viewed here, provides an in-depth look into the Congressman’s life as an immigrant from India and his high-profile position in Congress.

While he is now one of the most high profile congressmen in Illinois, Krishnamoorthi was first introduced in 2016 in with a memorable campaign ad in which he implored voters, “Just call me Raja!” the channel noted.

He first got started in politics through races with former President Barack Obama.

“We met at a reception, a civil rights reception, I think, in 1999. And then in 2002, he we met again and he said, I’m I’m running for the U.S. Senate. And I said, sign me up. I became his policy director for that for that campaign. And that’s what really illustrated to me, the great character of Illinoisans and how they really assess people based on someone on their character rather than, you know, kind of outward notions of who people are,” Krishanmoorthi recalled.

Since taking his seat in the House of Representative, he has taken part in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trials in 2019 and 2020 as a member of the Oversight and Intelligence Committee. And he was in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when insurgents stormed the building.

READ: ‘Bridging Histories, Shaping Our Future’ theme for AANHPI Heritage Month (April 25, 2024)

He says there’s not quite as much rancor on Capitol Hill as people see. “A little bit less. I think that when people are off camera, I think they’re much more candid,” he said.

An extended interview between Ravi Baichwal and Krishnamoorthi aired last Saturday as part of the channel’s “Our Chicago: Connecting Cultures” program.