Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Indian-American candidate for the U.S. Congress from Illinois’ District 8, Raja Krishnamoorthi, received a strong endorsement from President Barack Obama, boosting his already front-runner status in the November 8 general election.
“As the son of immigrants who worked their way into the middle-class, Raja understands both the challenges facing America’s working families and the opportunities their work makes possible,” President Obama said in a statement the White House sent to Krishnamoorthi. “I know he’ll fight hard in Congress to create more good jobs, empower more Americans to start businesses, and help working families afford to put their children through college,” the President added.
Krishnamoorthi, 42, who grew up in Illinois, told News India Times the White House conveyed the information to him and sent the statement from the President June 2. The endorsement reinforces the strong and now unqualified backing from the establishment for the candidate who won the primary March 15. In the 2012 election, the Democratic Party endorsed his opponent, army veteran Tammy Duckworth. She is now running for the U.S. Senate, opening the seat for Krishnamoorthi.
He will become the 2nd India-born Congressman after Dalip Singh Saund, D-California, who served in the House of Representatives 1957-1963. Two other Indian-Americans in Congress include former Representative and later Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal, who was born in Louisiana, and current incumbent Rep. Ami Bera, D-California, who is running for re-election.
“I’m elated to have the President’s support,” Krishnamoorthi told News India Times, “He’s put working families front and center as President and that is what I intend to do if elected.”
Now 158 days from the general election, Krishnamoorthi is pitted against a lesser known Republican rival, Peter DiCianni, a DuPage County board member, whose chances of winning are marginal. Roll Call magazine called Krishnamoorthi the “heavy favorite” to win the general election. But Krishnamoorthi said he is not taking anything for granted and said getting people to the polls was the most important factor in winning.
“We are working extremely hard to mobilize resources and volunteers to get out the vote,” he said. “We need to continue to fundraise. But we have demonstrated in the primary that with the requisite resources my team knows how to deploy them appropriately,” he added.
An attorney by training, Krishnamoorthi is president of Sivananthan Labs and Episolar, Inc., a small business in the Chicago suburbs that develops and sells products in the national security and renewable energy industries. He is a co-founder of InSPIRE, a non-profit organization that provides training in solar technology to inner-city students and veterans.
Krishnamoorthi served as issues director for Barack Obama’s successful 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate. Later, he was appointed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to serve as a Special Assistant Attorney General in her newly formed Public Integrity Unit. He also served as for two years as Illinois Deputy Treasurer.
He has a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in mechanical engineering from Princeton University and graduated with honors from Harvard Law School. He is married to Priya Krishnamoorthi, a doctor who practices at local hospitals. They live in Schaumburg with their sons Vijay, 10, and Vikram, 6, who attend public schools in District 54.
The post President Obama Endorses Raja Krishnamoorthi For Illinois’ District 8 appeared first on News India Times.
