Close X
Sunday, December 1, 2024
ADVT 
International

Chennai-Born Malayali Woman Wins Washington Open Primary

Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 Aug, 2016 12:57 PM
  • Chennai-Born Malayali Woman Wins Washington Open Primary
Indian-American Pramila Jayapal has swept an open Congressional primary in Washington State and could make history as the first woman from the community to be elected to the US House of Representatives if she wins the November general election.
 
Born in India and raised in Indonesia and Singapore, 50-year-old Jayapal would be facing either of the two candidates she defeated in the open primary by more than 16 per cent.
 
Besides Pramila there are three other serious Indian-American contenders for seat in US House of Representatives.
 
Ami Bera is seeking his third term from California. He is the only Indian American in the current Congress. Two others running for a House seat are Raja Krishnamoorthi from a suburb of Chicago and Ro Khanna from Silicon Valley.
 
All four are considered to have a bright chance of winning the November general elections.
 
Running from the seventh Congressional district in Washington State, Jayapal swept the Tuesday night open primary with 38.2 per cent of the votes.
 
Her two other rivals were Joe McDermott (21.5 per cent) and Brady Walkinshaw (20.9).
 
"Thank you so much to the voters of the 7th Congressional District! You have fueled the flame of our movement with the clear belief that we together can and will reclaim our government to work for all of us!" Jayapal told her supporters at a victory speech.
 
Jayapal was endorsed by former Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders.
 
 
"Pramila just proved that candidates can run a strong progressive campaign funded by small-dollar donors and win big," Sanders said.
 
"The people-powered movement that propelled our campaign to victory in states around the country is already changing how campaigns are run up and down the ticket," he added. Jayapal trailed early in the race, but saw a steady climb in the polls following Sanders' endorsement on April 13.
 
In addition to campaigning with her, the Vermont senator helped Jayapal raise USD 226,000 from 27,692 individual donations and recruited volunteers to make 140,314 phone calls and knock doors.
 
"When you think of the political revolution, I want you to think about Pramila," Sanders said.
 
Jayapal has spent the last 20 years working both internationally and domestically as a leading national advocate for human rights.
 
She led one of the largest voter registration efforts in Washington State, helping over 23,000 new Americans to register to vote.
 
In May 2013, she was recognised as a White House "Champion of Change".
 
A Chennai-born Malayali, she came to the US in 1982 to attend Georgetown University.
 
She worked on Wall Street as a financial analyst and went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.
 
After working in the medical equipment industry for a year she found her passion in the social justice arena. She now lives in Seattle.

MORE International ARTICLES

White People Must Listen To Fears Of African-Americans: Hillary Clinton

White People Must Listen To Fears Of African-Americans: Hillary Clinton
Calling for unity after deadly shooting in the US city of Dallas, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said that white people must listen to African-Americans about "what it feels to live with fear and anxiety."

White People Must Listen To Fears Of African-Americans: Hillary Clinton

Four Killed In Plane Crash In Houston

Four Killed In Plane Crash In Houston
Four people have been killed in the US after a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from a private Houston airport.

Four Killed In Plane Crash In Houston

10 Killed, 100 Hurt In Pakistan While Performing Bike Stunts On Eid

10 Killed, 100 Hurt In Pakistan While Performing Bike Stunts On Eid
At least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured while performing dangerous stunts by riding bikes rashly in between the traffic in Pakistan's different cities on the occasion of Eid, officials said on Thursday.

10 Killed, 100 Hurt In Pakistan While Performing Bike Stunts On Eid

Indian-American Businessman Jailed For 15 Months For Fraud

Indian-American Businessman Jailed For 15 Months For Fraud
Tarsem Singh, a businessman from Fairfax in Virginia, pled guilty to the charge in last December in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Indian-American Businessman Jailed For 15 Months For Fraud

Man Admits Killing Muslim Shopkeeper Who 'Disrespected Islam'

Man Admits Killing Muslim Shopkeeper Who 'Disrespected Islam'
A 32-year-old man on Thursday admitted fatally stabbing a Pakistani Ahmadi Muslim shopkeeper in the UK for what he perceived as disrespect to Islam.

Man Admits Killing Muslim Shopkeeper Who 'Disrespected Islam'

Indian Family Killed In Accident In New York After A Drunk Driver Makes Head-On Collision

Chandan Gavai, and his parents Archana Gavai, 60, and Kamalnayan Gavai, 74, died when Gustave Geyer crashed into the family's car on Yaphank Middle Island Road in Long Island late Monday night.

Indian Family Killed In Accident In New York After A Drunk Driver Makes Head-On Collision