WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Three Indian American candidates, Republican Harry Arora and Democrats Kesha Ram Hinsdale and Josh Kaul have advanced to November elections winning party nominations in the Aug 9 primary in Connecticut, Vermont and Wisconsin respectively. In Connecticut, Republican nominee Harry who ran unopposed for Connecticut treasurer will face attorney Erick Russell who defeated Indian American Dita Bhargava in a three-way race for Democratic nomination. Russell received 58% of the votes, compared to Bhargava’s 23%. New Haven Housing Authority President Karen DuBois-Walton came in third place. “Democrats have failed CT. As your next State Treasurer, I will fix CT’s finances,” tweeted Arora, currently a state representative from Connecticut’s 151st District and the ranking member of the Labor Committee. “I have over two decades of experience in finance, investing and the state legislature,” he wrote. In contrast, my Democrat opponent has little to no experience in finance, investing or public service. Arora has 25 years of experience in portfolio management, and “a strong understanding of macro trends and fixed income,” according to his website. He has founded and led a successful investment management business for almost two decades. He came to the United States from India as a graduate student 27 years ago and naturalized as an American citizen in 2004. He and his wife Nisha are raising their three kids in Greenwich. Bhargava took to Facebook to thank her supporters for “an outstanding campaign based on issues most pertinent to the communities of CT.”

This was her second attempt at running for state treasurer. She left the Democratic contest for governor in 2018, when Ned Lamont entered the race, and decided to run for treasurer instead. She lost the Democratic primary race to former Hartford City Council president Shawn Wooden. In Vermont, state senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale advanced to the November general elections with 27% vote, according to the reports. “Thank you, @EmergeVT and @EmergeAmerica! So many victories last night were thanks to the incredible network of support we have built. I will forever be proud to be an Emerge co-founder! #PrimaryDay #vtpoli,” she tweeted.

Democrat Hinsdale ended her bid for the state’s lone seat in the US Congress in May and announced her intent to seek re-election to the State Senate from Chittenden District. She also declared her support for Becca Balint, who won the Democratic primary for the US Congress seat on Aug 9.

In 2020, Ram Hinsdale became the first woman of color elected to the Vermont Senate. She was 22 when she was first elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 2008, becoming the youngest person ever elected.

She served in the State House until 2016 when she left her seat to run in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. She lost out to David Zuckerman, a Progressive and Democrat who ultimately won the election.

In Wisconsin, Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul, who ran unopposed, will face Republican candidate Eric Toney, a veteran prosecutor and Fond du Lac County district attorney. Kaul took office in January 2019.

“Kaul’s campaign tried to frame the race as being about stark contrasts and hot-button issues, including gun rights and abortion rights,” according to a media report. Kaul is suing to overturn an 1849 state law banning all abortions except to save the life of the mother that Toney supports, the news agency noted. “Kaul also supports universal background checks and a red flag law that would allow judges to take guns away from people determined to be a threat to themselves and others, efforts that Toney opposes.”