During his two-month run, Vivek Viswanathan will cover more than 60 towns across California to meet his constituents and experience the state firsthand.
Indian American Vivek Viswanathan, who is running for the office of California State Treasurer, has kicked off his two-month, 500-mile run as part of the campaign.
The candidate, who started his run on March 10 from California State Treasurer’s building in Sacramento, has covered 76 miles in four days. The foot-journey will end in San Diego.
“I’m running to show that someone like me can win without a dime of corporate or special-interest money,†Viswanathan said in a statement.
Running as an Independent candidate, the Democrat said that he wants to strengthen the idea that an ordinary person can step forward to run for the office. Viswanathan has refused all corporate, PAC, and special interest money.
“Political insiders tell me it’s all about the money – I think they’re wrong,†Viswanathan said. “I’m running to show that someone like me can win without a dime of corporate or special interest money. And I’m running to show the people of California that your voice and your ideas actually matter,†he said.
Viswanathan has completed his law and MBA from Stanford University and is a graduate of Harvard College. Among his priorities are safeguarding taxpayer money from corporates and strengthening the state’s public finances to bolster education, housing, and retirement.
The 30-year-old candidate, who served as a policy adviser to the Hillary Clinton campaign, launched his campaign on January 17 and has raised more than $100,000 for the primary election.
“And I’m running to show the people of California that your voice and your ideas actually matter. That ordinary people like you and like me can come together and transform our government so that it works for us, the people,†he stresses.
Viswanathan aims to provide free education in public colleges and universities. To make it a reality, he proposes to open college savings account for every child born in California with an initial investment from the state. Monies for these accounts can be raised by imposing a tax on estates over $5 million, he suggests. This policy was shut down by the Trump administration. Additionally, he proposes to refinance student debt for those who have taken private loans.
To create momentum for first-home buyers, Vishwanathan proposes to discontinue the state’s mortgage-interest deduction for second homes. The revenue thus generated might then be used to fund several housing initiatives.
Viswanathan has plans for elderly too. He wants to pump more funds into the state’s retirement system ensuring “security and dignity” to the retirees. “Current funding levels are several hundred billion dollars below what we need to pay benefits. We need to contribute more now so that we can keep our promises,†he said.