WASHINGTON — Sujit Singh, a technology professional and longtime community advocate, is seeking the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, running on a platform centered on human services, inclusion, and grassroots engagement.
Singh, who narrowly lost a mayoral race last year, said his decision to run for Congress is rooted in years of work in nonprofit human services and a belief that those issues are underrepresented in local and state policymaking.
“For several years I’ve been involved in nonprofit human services, and I do not see it is represented in our township and our county and across New Jersey,” Singh said in an interview.
He described the four-county district as diverse but underserved in critical policy areas. “We do see a great need to strengthen human services,” Singh said, adding that his campaign aims to support low-income families, immigrant communities, seniors, and young people to ensure “we have opportunity for all.”
Singh’s personal story plays a central role in his campaign. He said he grew up in Jhajjar in Haryana near New Delhi in a farming family and spent years working in agriculture while attending school.
“I belonged to a farming family for generations,” he said, recalling long hours spent on the farm during middle school, high school, and school holidays.
After earning an engineering degree, Singh said he moved to the United States in 1998 for work, arriving with limited financial resources. “I had only $90 when I landed in the US,” he said, describing the country as “a country which is built by immigrants, really hardworking immigrants, skilled labour.”
Singh said his employer supported him from his first day in the U.S., enabling him to build a professional career and establish roots in New Jersey. He later raised a family in West Windsor and now considers the area home.
He said he has built a career spanning more than three decades in technology consulting and public-sector work, focusing on large-scale programs designed to deliver direct benefits to families and children.
“I chose this work, which resonates with my values,” Singh said, noting that his professional background has shaped his views on public policy and governance.
Singh’s entry into electoral politics began with his run for mayor of West Windsor last year, where he said he lost by just 164 votes.
“I ran for mayor and last year and came really close to winning,” he said, describing the campaign as a strong grassroots effort.
That experience, he said, defines his approach to the congressional race. “My core campaign work is the grassroots level,” Singh said, recalling that he knocked on more than 8,000 doors in just over two months during the mayoral campaign. “Connecting to the people right on the door, listening to them” remains central to his strategy.
Singh highlighted the demographic diversity of New Jersey’s 12th District, noting significant Asian, Hispanic, and Black populations, as well as a large immigrant and small-business community. “It’s a really diverse and proud to be a strong, thriving and district,” he said.
Despite that diversity, Singh argued that issues such as human services and disability support have not received sufficient attention. He pointed to his years of nonprofit work supporting adults with disabilities, saying it provided firsthand insight into how federal policy decisions affect daily life.
He said he worked closely with caregivers, social workers, and local leaders to improve quality of life and expand access to services.
On the campaign trail, Singh said he has seen growing support across communities. “I am receiving support from every town safe, every neighbourhood,” he said, adding that more than 200 supporters have already committed to volunteer with his campaign.
He stressed that the support extends beyond Indian Americans to include South Asian, Hispanic, and other communities across the district.
Singh also addressed foreign policy, emphasizing Congress’s role in shaping U.S. alliances and national security. He described New Delhi as a key strategic partner and said he would work to strengthen India-U.S. ties.
New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District has been represented by Democrats for decades and is considered a politically significant seat. (Source: IANS)
