California: More than a handful of Indian American political hopefuls took part in primary elections in Arizona and Florida Aug. 28, with just a few, including business executive Anita Malik, participating in contested races. Malik, a Democrat seeking the party’s nomination in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, was in a three-candidate race with Heather Ross and Garrick McFadden with the winner to challenge Republican incumbent David Schweikert in the general.
The race was so tight between Malik and Ross that it took several days before the Indian American ultimately emerged as the victor. According to the Arizona Registrar, Malik received 22,111 votes for 42.1 per cent while Ross earned 19,873 votes for 37.8 per cent. For several days, the two candidates were a mere 1 per cent apart before the final votes were tallied and Malik was declared the winner Aug. 31.
“I’m proud that my campaign reflected a broad, grassroots coalition of Arizonans who came together to support our vision of creating jobs and ensuring the ability of families to work, live and thrive in the 6th Congressional District,” Malik said in a statement. “I am so grateful for the army of volunteers and supporters who powered our campaign. We face so many challenges in our state and in our country, and I intend to be part of the solution and a public servant the people of Arizona can trust,” she added. The first-generation Indian American said she knows what it is like to struggle, to be different and to be judged because of her skin color. She credits her parents for understanding the American dream but now, with the influx in hate crimes, she said she is “saddened about where we are” as a nation.
In Arizona’s 24th Legislative District, Amish Shah was gunning for the Democratic Party’s nomination to take on Republican David Alger for the right to be the state representative. With more than 95 per cent of the votes tallied, Shah had 29 per cent of the vote, eight points more than Jennifer Longdon, to earn a spot in the general election. In Florida’s 21st Legislative District, Amol Jethwani was seeking the Democratic nomination for the state representative seat. Campaigning against Jason Haeseler, the Indian American came up short with just 42 per cent of the vote, 16 points behind Haeseler’s 58 per cent. Haeseler will now challenge Republican incumbent Chuck Clemons for the seat in November.
Aakash Patel, a Republican candidate in Florida’s Hillsborough County Commission race, was vying for the party nomination against Todd Marks. Patel received 28,383 votes for 32.4 per cent, and was a distant runner-up to Marks, who tallied 59,336 votes for 67.6 per cent. Marks joins Democrat Kimberly Overman and Green Party’s Kim O’Connor in the general election. Hiral Tipirneni and Sanjay Patel both ran for the Democratic nomination in their respective US House races in Arizona and Florida, with both advancing in uncontested elections. Tipirneni, who fell short to Republican Debbie Lesko in a special election for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District seat earlier in the year, will have a rematch with the Republican incumbent in November. Patel is set to challenge Republican incumbent Bill Posey after both advanced in uncontested races in Florida’s 8th Congressional District.
