Raju keeps job as San Francisco’s Public Defender, Ajmera re-elected to Charlotte City Council.
While Democrats across America are celebrating winning control of the General Assembly in Virginia in the Nov 5 elections, the Indian American community too is basking in the glory as two politicians of Indian origin were instrumental in making the feat possible.
Ghazala Hashmi from Virginia Senate’s 10th district and Suhas Subramanyam from the State House’s 87th district registered stunning victories for the Democrats.
Two other Indian Americans also scored victories elsewhere in the country. On the West Coast, Mano Raju retained his job as San Francisco’s Public Defender. And on the East Coast, Dimple Ajmera, was re-elected to Charlotte City Council with a comfortable win.
Manohar ‘Mano’ Raju created history earlier this year, by becoming the first South Asian American to become public defender in the U.S. In March, San Francisco, Mayor, London Breed had named Raju as the public defender. Prior to this, Raju, served as the Director of Training for the Office and also as the Manager for the Felony Unit.
Born in Wilmington, Delaware and brought up in Boston, Raju, was raised in a Tamil household. His dad was an engineer and mother an entrepreneur. Raju has an impressive academic profile.
He attended the prestigious Columbia University during his undergraduate days where he researched on Critical Race Theory. He also attended the Oxford Center for African Studies and then went on to complete his Master’s in South Asian studies at Berkeley. He also attended the Berkley School of Law.
Ajmera, who has been re-elected to Charlotte City Council is a former Certified Public Accountant. She registered a historic win back in 2017, when she was elected in the City Council. She immigrated to the U.S. along with her parents when she was 16. A graduate from the University of Southern California, Ajmera, left her lucrative six-figure career to serve in the City Council.