Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress from Illinois’ 8th District who is already a front runner in the race, got a massive boost from none other than “the most powerful man in the world” as he is often referred to.
President Obama engaged voters of Illinois, where early voting began Oct. 24, to get out and vote for his “good friend Raja Krishnamoorthi,” in a special video prepared for the Indian-American candidate.
The video has gone out to tens of thousands of voters in the 8th District via email, and to multiples more through social media and the Internet, Krishnamoorthi said.
Close to 12,000 voters in his district had already voted, he said, based on information put out by the Cook County Clerk’s office, in the two days since early voting began.
“It’s pretty special,” Krishnamoorthi told News India Times. “At first we had just requested a voice recording. But he went ahead and made a video message. So it’s much more than we asked for,” Krishnamoorthi added.
The video begins with President Obama seated in a chair in the White House, saying, “Hi, this is Barack Obama asking you to vote for my good friend Raja Krishnamoorthi for Congress.”
The President’s voice continues as scenes of Krishnamoorthi’s past interactions with him flash by as do scenes from the candidate’s campaign.
“When I ran for the U.S. Senate, Raja helped me develop ideas for building an economy that works for everyone,” the President says. “Now Raja’s plans will help small businesses grow, raise wages, and help families pay for college.”
The President returns to the screen to remind voters, ” The polls are open now, so don’t waste a minute. Vote Raja Krishnamoorthi for Congress. Thanks.”
Krishnamoorthi sees the 28- second video as a big plus for his campaign. “It’s directed toward people who are likely to vote. I want to get a chance to talk to those voters,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi served as issues director for Barack Obama’s successful United States Senate campaign in 2004. He was raised in Peoria, Illinois, earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in mechanical engineering from Princeton University and graduated with honors from Harvard Law School.
He clerked for a federal judge in Chicago, was Illinois’s Deputy Treasurer, and in 2006, he was appointed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to serve as Special Assistant Attorney General in her Public Integrity Unit. He also served as a member of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, where he was chairman of the Audit Committee.
He was formerly Vice-Chairman of the Illinois Innovation Council. He currently serves as president of Sivananthan Labs and Episolar, Inc., small businesses that sell products in the national security and renewable energy industries.
Krishnamoorthi is married to Priya, a doctor at a local hospital, and the couple live with their three children in Schaumberg, Illinois.
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