Indian American donations pouring in: report.
AB Wire
WASHINGTON, DC: State Del. Kumar Barve, who is running for US Congress from Maryland’s 8th District, received a big boost Friday, when Rep. Ami Bera, the only Indian American member of Congress endorsed his candidacy.
“I’m proud to support Kumar Barve in his campaign for Congress,” Bera said in a press release. “He paved the way for many of us when he became the first Indian American ever elected to a state legislature. As a long time leader in the Maryland General Assembly, he has been a champion on healthcare, a leader on innovation, and a bipartisan job creator. There have only been three Indian Americans ever elected to Congress, and I look forward to Kumar joining me as one of the next and supporting him the months ahead.”
Barve, the longest serving Indian American state legislator in the country, said he is “honored to have the support” of the California Democrat.
“He’s fought to build an economy that works for middle class families and worked with people from both parties to address the challenges this nation faces,” Barve, who represents District 17 in the Maryland House of Delegates at the moment, said. “As the only Indian American in Congress, he has been a strong proponent of growing our relationship with India to create jobs in the U.S.,and a national leader in the Indian American community. I appreciate his strong endorsement and look forward to working with him in the future.”
Barve, a Democrat, is seeking to replace Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who has announced his candidacy for the US Senate for the seat vacated by the retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski.
Meanwhile, Barve raised more than $66,200 between March 9 — the day he announced his candidacy — and March 31, according to a report.
Analyzing the campaign finance report filed by the candidate with the Federal Election Commission, the Bethesda Magazine reported that a good chunk of the donations came from the Indian American community.
Candidates are required to file quarterly reports with FEC and the Barve campaign filed his first quarter report on Wednesday.
The magazine said of the “33 individuals who contributed at least $200 to the Barve campaign, approximately 75 percent of the donors appear to be Indian Americans residing either in the greater Washington area or across the country.”
Among those who have contributed to the Barve campaign are former Maryland Del. Sam Arora and former White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra.