Raja Krishnamoorti, who is making a second bid for Congress after a failed attempt in 2012, has a Delhi connection. The 42-year-old businessman from Ilinois was born in the Indian capital, though his family migrated when he was an infant.
Ballotpedia—a nonpartisan online political encyclopedia—rates is chances as 'high', given that he is standing from a 'safe' Democratic seat.
Excerpts from an interview:
What has been the highlight of your campaign?
President Barack Obama issued a 30 second video message for my campaign. That was a big boost.
Why have the Indian Americans taken so long to start contesting elections?
We are a young community. It's natural for a community to first establish itself and then look at running for government. This year, we are seeing many Indian Americans in the race.
What will be the challenges of the new government?
The ongoing challenge is to strengthen the middle class.
If elected, what do you see yourself active in?
I look forward to a role in strengthening ties between India and the US, specially in the areas of combating climate change, economic growth and dealing with terror...I'm happy to see how the Indo-US ties have strengthened in the last few years.
What is your message to voters at this final stage?
Voting is equal to having a seat at the table. If you don't have a seat, you are on the menu. Voters have the power to reject calls from Donald Trump for dividing the country along ethnic-gender lines.
