Dita Bhargava
The Indian American vice-chair of the Connecticut State Democratic Party Mudita ‘Dita’ Bhargava is now eyeing at becoming the State Governor after she was elected to her current post in January this year.
According to The Hindu, Bhargava will be running for the gubernatorial elections scheduled next year as one of the four Democratic candidates to run for the primary election.
“I am not a well-known entity, and hence I will have to work a lot harder than others. When people get to hear my message, they are quickly buying in,” she told The Hindu in an interview.
According to the report, Bhargava is making calculated moves and now her immediate goal is to raise $250,000 in small contributions not exceeding $100 apiece.[irp]
On achieving this goal, Bhargava will become eligible for the raising public funding, allowing her to collect big donations from Connecticut area.
Bhargava, in less than three weeks after announcing her bid for the gubernatorial election in September, has raised $53,000. She also told the paper that to be able to run the campaign effectively she needs at least 3000 volunteers.
The campaign has to meet this requirement by May 2018.
Bhargava, 45, is banking on her Wall Street experience and progressive political values as assets that can help her sail through the election.
Bhargava, who is a small-business owner, calls herself a “pro-business progressive” and says Connecticut is a progressive state and her humble background makes her focus more on vulnerable people.
“But to fund progressive ideas, where will the resources come from? It has to come from economic growth, and more tax revenue. For me, the two go hand-in-hand,” she said.[irp]
The Indian American is currently going in-and-around the state on listening tours, getting to know about the problems of the people who gather in community centers such as temples, mosques, and churches, and educating them about her ideas, and listening to them.
Bhargava is a strong opponent of Donald Trump’s recently introduced tax proposals and is of the view that the Republicans are pushing poor Americas to their limits by stealing their rights and giving it to the rich, which is opposed to her political standpoint.
Bhargava has the backing of her party functionaries and the South Asian American community.
“I believe in the future of Connecticut. I will ensure that our residents, businesses, colleges, and government can work and thrive together in a way that makes our state stronger and fairer. I want to invite new businesses that will invest responsibly in our state, and ensure that our college graduates can find the right opportunities here at home,” Bhargava said on her official website. “My plan will enhance the livelihood of our families, strengthen our economy, and restore the state’s fiscal solvency. A strong and fair Connecticut is a goal we all share, and we will deliver it together.”
Bhargava, an Electrical Engineering graduate from MacMaster University, Canada, moved to the US to work as a Wall Street trader and portfolio manager. She moved to Connecticut in 2007.
In January of 2017, Dita was unanimously elected Vice Chair of the Connecticut State Democratic Party.
Dita is married to Dan, a former engineering graduate and finance professional who currently owns a small software business based in Connecticut. The couple is living in Cos Cob with their two children – Arya, 8, and Kalyan, 7.
“It has become harder for many Connecticut residents to get ahead. We cannot afford to keep governing the same way and expect a better outcome. That’s why I’m exploring a run for Governor,” says Bhargava in the introductory paragraph of her official website.