Press Release
63 State and Local South Asian American Elected Leaders Unite to Endorse Kamala Harris for President
For Immediate Release:
July 30, 2024
Contact:
Sarah Shah | sarah@iaimpact.org
63 State and Local South Asian American Elected Leaders Unite to Endorse Kamala Harris for President
Washington, D.C. — Today, over 63 South Asian American state and local elected officials from across the country join Indian American Impact in endorsing Vice President Kamala Devi Harris as the next President of the United States, issuing the following statement:
“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.
Throughout her career, Kamala Harris, alongside President Biden, has championed and enacted policies that have uplifted not only South Asian Americans, but all Americans. 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. 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. As an exceptional coalition builder, Harris possesses an extraordinary ability to unite our nation at a time when the stakes have never been higher.
Moreover, her victory would send a powerful signal to all Asian Americans, communities of color, and women. 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.
Signatures:
| 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 |
| School Board Director Pooja Chanda |
About Indian American Impact Fund:
The Indian American Impact Fund is dedicated to promoting and elevating the voices of Indian and South Asian Americans in the political and civic life of the United States. As the second-largest immigrant community and the largest Asian ethnic group, Indian and South Asian Americans are poised to be the decisive margin of victory in key races.
Since its inception in 2016, Indian American Impact Fund has endorsed and supported 166 candidates across the country, contributing to the historic rise of Indian and South Asian American representation in politics. Through strategic investments, grassroots organizing, and robust voter mobilization and policy advocacy efforts, Impact has marshaled upwards of $20 million, amplifying the voices of South Asian Americans and driving positive change in communities nationwide. By advocating for inclusivity, equity, and justice, we strive to build a more inclusive and equitable society.