Indian American wins Democratic nomination for top US county post

Makhija, who belongs to a Sindhi family of Indian origin, will face a general election in November to control the three-member commission in Pennsylvania’s third-largest county with a population of more than 865,000. It turns out.

new york: Indian American lawyer and educator Neil Makhija has won the Democratic nomination for Montgomery County commissioner, inching closer to becoming the first Asian American to hold Pennsylvania’s top post. Makhija was throwing his hat into the ring ahead of Tuesday’s primary election for mayor of Montgomery County, which has the largest Asian American population in Pennsylvania.

advertisement

advertisement

“It’s official! Our underdog campaign has been successful and I have officially won the Democratic nomination for Montgomery County Commissioner,” Makhija shared the news on his Twitter on Wednesday. “None of this would have happened without my amazing team and supporters, and for that I am immeasurably grateful. Together we made history.” he tweeted.

Makhija, who belongs to a Sindhi family of Indian origin, will face a general election in November to control the three-member commission in Pennsylvania’s third-largest county with a population of more than 865,000. It turns out. If elected, the 36-year-old election law professor at the University of Pennsylvania would be the first South Asian lawmaker to fill the position vacated by outgoing Commissioner Valerie Arkush.

Aruna Miller, Maryland’s first Indian-American lieutenant governor, tweeted: “Congratulations to my friend @NeilMakhija on becoming the Democratic candidate for Montgomery County (PA) Commissioner!”

In an email to supporters, the victorious Makhija said his campaign had “inspired a new and diverse coalition of voters to go to every corner of the county to vote.” The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners is the governing body of Montgomery County and is made up of five members elected by district.

Each commissioner is elected to a four-year term and represents approximately 45,000 voters. The Montgomery County Commission’s responsibilities include managing all county public funds and adopting an annual budget that reflects anticipated revenues and expenditures (by law, expenditures cannot exceed revenues).

If elected, Makilla, along with other commissioners, will be tasked with managing a budget of more than $500 million and a staff of 3,000, including elections, courts, the District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Public Health, and public infrastructure. The commissioners will also oversee the administration of the 2024 presidential election, and attention is expected to focus on local election officials in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Makhija worked in the White House and the Senate, and received a J.D. from Harvard Law School on a Horace Lentz Scholarship. The son of Indian immigrants, the Pennsylvania native is passionate about empowering underrepresented communities to vote and engaging new citizens in state and local politics.