WASHINGTON– Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi announced Wednesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate, a move that could make him only the second Indian American ever elected to the chamber.
“I’ve made it my mission to fight for families like the ones I grew up with—people who just want a chance to work hard and realize their dreams,” Krishnamoorthi said in a video launching his campaign. He is scheduled to kick off his Senate run with a series of events across Illinois on Friday.
Currently representing Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives, Krishnamoorthi is seeking to succeed Senator Dick Durbin, a longtime Democrat whose seat is being vacated in the solidly blue state.
Born in New Delhi, Krishnamoorthi moved to the United States with his family at age three. After earning a law degree, he served as Policy Director for Barack Obama’s successful U.S. Senate campaign. In 2016, he was elected to Congress and quickly gained prominence, in part for coining the term “Samosa Caucus” to describe a growing group of Indian American lawmakers, including Reps. Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, and Pramila Jayapal. The informal caucus has since expanded to include Shri Thanedar and Suhas Subramanyam.
If elected, Krishnamoorthi would join Vice President Kamala Harris in the history books as one of only two Indian Americans to have served in the Senate. Harris was elected from California in 2016—the same year Krishnamoorthi, Khanna, and Jayapal entered the House—and briefly formed part of the Samosa Caucus before resigning to join Joe Biden’s presidential ticket.
Krishnamoorthi’s campaign is expected to highlight his immigrant background, legislative record, and commitment to economic opportunity, themes that have defined his political career and helped him build a national profile. (Source: IANS)
