Indian-American women politicians are making a mark in this year’s general elections in the U.S., with Democrat Kamala Harris all set to be elected as the first Senator from the community.
This is seen as the direct effect of the candidacy of Ms. Clinton, the first-ever woman candidate of a major political party; and also as a result of the political success of two-term South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who as the first Indian-American woman Governor has made an impact at the national level. Two top positions in the Clinton Campaign are held by Indian-American women.
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Neera Tandon, who heads the Center for American Progress, a top American think-tank, has been appointed as co-chair of the Clinton Transition team. She is highly being speculated as a potential Cabinet nominee in a Clinton administration.
Ms. Clinton’s closest personal aide Huma Abdein, whose father was from India and mother from Pakistan, is the vice chairperson of the Clinton Campaign.
Mini Timmaraju is women’s vote director at Hillary for America. She was also the women’s outreach director for Clinton Campaign. Maya Harris is one of the key policy advisers to the Clinton Campaign. Based in California, Shefali Razdan Duggal is a key player in Ms. Clinton’s national financial team.
Indian-American women are also not far behind in the Republican party. California-based Harmeet Dhillon is the National Committee woman in the Republican National Committee.
Among the RepublicansMary Thomas, who currently serves as the General Counsel at the Department of Elder Affairs in Florida, lost the Republican Congressional primary in the State this year but she has her eye set on future political positions.
Similarly, Kesha Ram (30) is a young legislator in the Vermont House of Representatives. This year, she unsuccessfully tried her luck to run for the Vermont Lieutenant-Governor. — PTI
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