VIRGINIA (TIP): Days after winning a seat in Virginia Senate, Indian American state assembly member Suhas Subramanyam has announced his candidacy for US Congress in Virginia’s 10th District.
“The Republican leadership in the House has been unapologetic about their MAGA agenda, undermining our democracy, trying to ban all abortion – no exceptions – nationwide, and slashing Social Security and Medicare,” the son of Indian immigrants said announcing his campaign Nov 16.
“Their extremism and political games have done nothing to bring down costs or make things better for Northern Virginia families. The threat is real, and it’s urgent,” he stated.
“This community is where my family immigrated, my kids were born, and my wife and I got married, and it is vital that we elect someone in Virginia’s 10th District who puts that community, not the MAGA agenda, first. I know I am the proven leader for the job,” Subramanyam stated.
Subramanyam’s campaign is off to a strong start and building momentum, with over $100,000 raised in his first 24 hours in the race. “I am humbled by the outpouring of community support behind my campaign for Congress,” said Subramanyam. “I am excited that my record of service and commitment to taking on tough fights that protect our communities is resonating, and I look forward to building on this momentum. I am proud to see such overwhelming support from members of our community who know I will deliver real results for them in Congress.” In an interview with the Washington Post, Subramanyam “said he chose to run for Congress because the problems there, such as perpetual threats of government shutdowns and an inability to find common ground on gun violence, are too urgent. Subramanyam also spoke about his plans to “fight for federal legislation securing abortion rights, to lower the cost of prescription drugs and to pass an assault weapons ban,” if elected to Congress.
“I look at what’s happening in Congress and see tough challenges that some say can’t be overcome,” Subramanyam told the Loudoun Times-Mirror. “I’m not afraid to take on the big fights, because it’s our community’s future on the line.”
Subramanyam who served as a White House technology policy advisor to President Barack Obama said his family’s story in America began in Virginia’s 10th District when his mother immigrated to the United States through Dulles Airport in 1979.
His mother, a native of Bengaluru, India, immigrated to the United States to unite with his father, live her American dream, and pursue a career in medicine.
Subramanyam parents taught him the value of service from a young age and, while attending Tulane University in New Orleans. Subramanya took those lessons to heart when he helped organize volunteers to rebuild the communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. He has since worked tirelessly to improve the health and prosperity of all Virginians and Americans, according to a campaign press release.
He served on Capitol Hill as a policy aide, where he worked to expand and improve health care access to millions of Americans, helped build a bipartisan coalition in support of the DREAM Act, and drafted legislation to increase job opportunities and funding for veterans.
After leaving the White House, Subramanyam started his own small business in Loudoun County and served the community as a volunteer medic, EMT, and firefighter.
In 2019, Subramanyam won a competitive four-way primary for the Virginia General Assembly. He passed legislation to bring down drug costs and increase price transparency for consumers.
When Virginia consumers were overcharged by hundreds of millions of dollars on energy bills, Subramanyam built a coalition across party lines to fight back, resulting in over $300 million in refunds to Virginia families, the release stated. In Congress, Subramanyam will continue to take on the tough fights, standing strong against MAGA extremists, defending abortion rights, and working with anyone willing to put aside partisan political games and get things done for Northern Virginians, the release stated.
Subramanyam is the first Indian American, South Asian, and Hindu to be sworn into the Virginia General Assembly. He was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita.
He is married to Miranda Peña Subramanyam, who works in international trade and volunteers in her free time at the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter. They currently reside in Ashburn, Virginia with their two daughters.