Congressman Ami Bera endorses 2 Indian-Americans for Nov elections

Washington: Congressman Ami Bera, the only Indian-American lawmaker in the current Congress, has endorsed two other fellow community members running for elected offices in the November general elections.

Bera, 51, yesterday announced that he was supporting Kesha Ram, who is running for Lieutenant Governor in Vermont and Pramila Jayapal, who is running for Congress in Washington state's 7th Congressional District.

"We need more women and more members of the AAPI community running for office," said Bera, who is the third-ever Indian-American lawmaker in the US Congress.

"Kesha and Pramila represent the next generation of leaders. Their focus on serving their communities and fighting for progressive values sets a powerful example to younger women," she said.

"I'm thrilled to have the support of Representative Bera as I continue to work on solutions that help our community get ahead," Ram said.

"Having the support of another member of the AAPI community will be crucial as I continue to fight for solutions and make investments that grow our economy and create opportunity for Vermonters," Ram said.

"As a candidate with nearly three decades of service to my community I'm proud to have the support of Bera, who shares my commitment to service, and I look forward to joining him in Congress," Jayapal said.

"With the strength of the AAPI community, we can create real change that expands economic equality and opportunity for all," she said.

Bera's parents immigrated to the US from Rajkot, Gujarat in 1958.