If elected Venkat will be the only physician and only person of South Asian descent in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly
Dr. Arvind Venkat, an Indian American emergency physician, who is running for Pennsylvania’s 30th State House District has received endorsements from Indian American Impact, a leading community organization, and several state politicians.
If elected Venkat, who came to the United States as a young baby with his Indian parents, will be the only physician in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and the only State Representative of South Asian descent.
Venkat qualified for the ballot in March by submitting hundreds of signatures from across the district, after knocking on more than 2,000 doors, a month after announcing his candidacy, according to a campaign press release.
Read: Indian American Nabeela Syed running for Illinois House (January 21, 2022)
“I am running for the State House because we need a representative who has served our community through crises big and small and will use these experiences to advocate for everyone in the district,” he says on his campaign website, www.venkatforpa.com.
“I want to bring that foundation of service and common purpose to the State House,” says Venkat, a 15 year resident of McCandless, where he lives with his wife and three children.
District 30, a newly drawn district with no incumbent representative, includes all of Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Emsworth, Franklin Park, Kilbuck Township, McCandless, Ohio Township, and part of Hampton Township.
Venkat has received endorsements among others from Congressman Conor Lamb, State Senator Lindsey Williams, and State Representatives Austin Davis, Rob Matzie, Nick Pisciottano and Dan Miller,
He is also backed by Rock Kernick, Uday Palled and Kim Zachary, council members from Hampton Township, Franklin Park Borough and McCandless Town, respectively.
Venkat’s parents, who settled in Michigan worked hard and built a bright future for him and his brother, the release said. Growing up in a tight-knit South Asian community, Venkat had role models who instilled in him the centrality of family, the nobility of service, and the importance of community.
“I became an ER doc because I knew that I would be caring for any patient that walked through the door at any time, no questions asked,” said Venkat.
“There’s no such thing as a Democratic or Republican heart attack. I’m running for the State House because we need leaders in Harrisburg who can put aside partisan differences and deal with the crises at hand.”
“In Harrisburg, I will fight to bring resources back to our communities to improve local infrastructure, bolster strained public services, and ensure that healthcare is affordable and accessible for all Pennsylvanians,” he added.
Read: Dr. Arvind Venkat announces run for North Hills state House seat (February 26, 2022)
Venkat, an attending emergency physician with Allegheny Health Network serves as core faculty in the emergency residency program at Allegheny General Hospital and System Chair of Clinical Ethics.
He is a past President of the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians, serves on the board of the McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority, and is a consultant to the Western Pennsylvania Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training collaborative.
1 Comment
Nikil Saval is already elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikil_Saval
I think you always need do your research before stating someone is the first Indian or South Asian elected to an elected body.
https://iaimpact.org/elected-officials/