Thomas works in Gov. Rick Scott’s administration.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Mary Thomas, an Indian American attorney in Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, has announced she will run next year for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham (D-Florida), in a North Florida congressional district.
“I’m a conservative Republican, a Christian, a wife, mother, and a lawyer. If elected, I would be the first Indian-American woman ever elected to Congress. This would truly be a historic event,” Thomas said during her campaign announcement at the Florida Press Center, last week.
Thomas says illegal immigration is an issue she is passionate about and will adamantly campaign on over the next year.
“My parents came to this country from India in 1972 and they came here legally, so illegal immigration is an issue that is very personal to both me and my family,” Thomas told Tallahassee’s WTXL. “So I think when President Obama issues unconstitutional and illegal amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, it’s not only an outrage to me, but it’s also an outrage to my parents and thousands of immigrants waiting in line to become Americans the legal way.”
Thomas graduated from the Florida State University College of Law and also holds a Master’s of Law from the University of Miami and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, according to CFBS affiliate WCTV.
“When I look in the mirror, I see someone who has lived the American dream,” Thomas commented during her announcement. “I believe what we need in Washington, is a fresh, conservative voice who will fight each day to protect the interests of our district and our great country. We need someone who has energy, passion, and the strong will to stand up for the interests and beliefs of the people that she represents. I am the right person for this job. I have a proven history of and experience in standing up for our district and our state, and this will not waiver,” she continued.
According to her campaign’s website, Thomas currently serves as the General Counsel at Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs where she manages and oversees the legal department of an agency that administers a $900 million budget.
Her experience includes serving as the Governor’s representative in negotiations regarding the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; developing strategies to protect the Apalachicola Bay from Georgia’s unchecked consumption of water, strategies that ultimately resulted in the filing of a lawsuit against Georgia in the U.S. Supreme Court; and helping to solve military base encroachment issues around the Panhandle’s military installations.
4 Comments
No mention where or when she was born.
Yes she can! Mary Thomas will represent the best interest of India in the US Congress! All the best!
Lol…she mentions that she is Christian…and that is relevant because….she wants to ensure that the white Christian majority voters know that she may not be white but boy she is the same religion. So..if you are an Indian American Hindu….do not vote for her because your religious freedom will be trampled by this fanatic.
You are correct, Westwood. While I do not believe that religion or gender are issues per se, what are important are qualifications and temperament for office. She is a young government lawyer with limited real-world experience. She follows lock-step with all that Mr. Trump proclaims. Although I am conservative, I’m concerned with many of those proclamations. It does not seem that Ms. Thomas has done any substantive analysis of them, which itself calls her judgment into question. Ms. Thomas, as a candidate, may be better featured in a publication called “American Bizaare.” Florida’s 2d Congressional District needs and deserves a representative who is not out to advance her interests or who needs on the job training. It needs a tested and principled representative who will be respected from Day One.