The businessman is seeking Democratic Party nomination from Massachusetts’ third congressional district.
Indian American Abhijit “Beej” Das, who is vying for the Democratic Party nomination from Massachusetts’ third congressional district, raised $425,000 in the last quarter of 2017, his campaign said. The campaign has $550,000 cash on hand.
It was the first fundraising for Das’ campaign.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the number of individuals who believe in my campaign enough to support it financially,” said Das. “I’m particularly proud that more than half of our donations in the fourth quarter are small donations under $200. We were determined to raise the necessary funds for a competitive race that will allow us to run a grassroots campaign and meet as many voters as possible.”
READ: List of Indian Americans running for Congress in 2018 (January 10, 2018)
Das is one of the 13 Democrats running in the September primary for the open seat. The incumbent Niki Tsongas is retiring at the end of the current term.
“We are going to be competitive with other candidates,” Das said in an interview with The American Bazaar Monday, the day before the first quarter fundraising total was announced. “We are very thankful for receiving the contributions we have.”
He said that the kind of money the campaign has raised was, “for a first time candidate, truly, truly special.”
Das’ parents are immigrants from West Bengal.
A constitutional lawyer by training, Das currently runs a hospitality business, Troca Hotels & Yachts, which has a number of properties on the East Coast.
According to the local newspaper Eagle Tribune, three other candidates have released their fundraising totals. They are: Massachusetts state Sen. Barbara L’Italien, who has raised $320,000; Daniel Koh, former chief of staff to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who raised $805,834; and former U.S. ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford, who has raised over $500,000.