Raja Krishnamoorthi victorious in bid for congressional seat in Illinois

Indian American entrepreneur Raja Krishnamoorthi was elected to Congress November 8 evening, beating his opponent by 20 points to claim Illinois 8th District seat.
Krishnamoorthi declared victory at around 9.30pm central time. With 82 per cent of ballots counted, the Democrat had won just over 59 per cent of the vote. His opponent, Republican Peter DiCianni, former mayor of Elmhurst, Illinois, had captured nearly 41 per cent of the vote.The two candidates fought for the seat currently held by Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who moved up to the Senate. Krishnamoorthi battled Duckworth in 2012; she endorsed him in this race.
“I’m so relieved,” the elated congressman-elect told India-West, shortly after giving a victory speech in which he thanked his many supporters. “I can’t begin to describe how humbling it is to be elected to serve the people of Illinois and to fight for the middle class.”
Krishnamoorthi jokingly said he would celebrate his victory “by getting some sleep.”
The new congressman said his first priority in the House would be to address the “paralysis” of its members. “People on one side of the aisle are not talking to people on the other side,” he said, referring to the stalemate that has dogged the House through the past two terms.
Krishnamoorthi said an 11th hour grassroots effort – knocking on doors, making phone calls and planting yard signs – ensured his victory. An endorsement from President Barack Obama, who refers to Krishnamoorthi as “my good friend,” also helped him win, he said.
Krishnamoorthi is among a handful of Indian American Democrats running for Congressional seats. Representative Ami Bera of Sacramento, California, – currently the sole Indian American in the House – is battling Sheriff Scott Jones to win his third term.
Jitendra Diganvker, who hosted a number of fundraisers for Krishnamoorthi during his 2012 and 2016 campaigns, told India-West that he had met the congressman a few years ago and admired his sound academic background. As a child, Krishnamoorthi and his family lived in public housing and received food stamps. He later went on to Harvard and Princeton.
“He is a small businessman who understands our challenges,” said Diganvker. “He understands the need for the middle class to be strong and stable to ensure economic growth,” he said.
U.S.-India relations are currently “the best they’ve ever been,” said the Indian American, noting the solid connection Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shares with Obama. “We are strategic partners, we have a mutual interest in global safety and security,” said Diganvker, opining that Krishnamoorthi could further such ties and also improve economic ties between India and Illinois.
Neil Khot, also a strong Krishnamoorthi supporter, told India-West that the new congressman could bolster trade, exchange of technology, and cultural exchanges between India and Illinois. The tech entrepreneur – who is the founder of Rely Services – noted that Illinois was fast becoming a technology hub, with companies like Groupon and Google opening offices in the state.
“Krishnamoorthi is a tech-savvy entrepreneur,” said Khot, adding that he hoped the new congressman would attract new venture capital money to the district.
Krishnamoorthi – president of Sivananthan Labs & Episolar Inc, – told India-West last month that he has received a lot of support from independent and Republican voters in his district.
(Content courtesy: indiawest.com)