Rishi Kumar
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Rishi Kumar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Council Member of Saratoga City Council | |
| In office December 2014 – Present | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mumbai, India |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Mumbai (BE) University of Connecticut (M.S.) |
Rishi Kumar is an Indian-American businessman and politician. He is currently a sitting council member on the Saratoga, California City Council, and a candidate for the 16th (formerly 18th) congressional district based in Silicon Valley, California.[1][2] Kumar was elected Council Member for Saratoga in 2014, being re-elected for a second four-year term in 2018.[3] In 2020, Kumar entered the House of Representatives District 18 race in California against incumbent Anna Eshoo, successfully making it to the general election. He finished as runner-up in the 2022 open primary for the newly redistricted 16th in June, thus qualifying for the general election in November.
Political history[edit]
Kumar was first involved in local politics, running for Saratoga City Council in 2014. His foray into running for political office was motivated by his connection with former Saratoga councilwoman Susie Nagpal.[4] He narrowly clinched third place in an at-large, three-seat election, winning 19.38% of the vote.[5] In his 2018 re-election bid, Kumar received the most votes out of five candidates, 29.62%.[6]
Kumar began his bid for the then 18th congressional district seat in March 2019, held by incumbent Rep. Anna Eshoo.[7] This district spread across three counties (Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo), roughly centered on Silicon Valley and including a significant portion of San Jose. Kumar won 16.4% of the vote in the nonpartisan district primary, enough to make it to the general election against Eshoo. He became the first Democratic challenger to Eshoo in the general election for this position, all previous contenders being Republicans. In November, he finished with 36.8% of the vote.
Kumar returned to contest Eshoo in 2022, running in the redrawn 16th district. He once again placed second in the primary election with 15.6%. He will face Anna Eshoo in the November election.
Political positions[edit]
Kumar has described his ideology as "progressive capitalist"[8]. A Democrat, he claims to reject partisan conflict and promotes a message of bipartisanship.[9][10] His policy outlook supports optimizing the tech sector, dealing with inflation and supply chain issues, and sustainable housing development.[11][12] Kumar is a proponent of utilizing the Hyperloop technology in order to reduce transportation time.[12] Additionally, Kumar endorses the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, while opposing the ACO REACH plan.[13][14] He supports legislating abortion rights following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.[15]
Over the course of his campaign, Rishi has pledged not to raise taxes, not to accept PAC donations, and to limit the number of terms he spends in office.[8][9][16]
Personal life[edit]
Kumar was born in Mumbai and immigrated to America as a graduate school student to study mechanical engineering. He currently lives in Saratoga. Kumar is married and has children.[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Council Member Rishi Kumar | Saratoga, CA". www.saratoga.ca.us. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ Grocott, Matt. "Candidate Kumar". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ "City Council Elections | Saratoga, CA". www.saratoga.ca.us. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ "Five candidates vie for three open seats on the Saratoga City Council". The Mercury News. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ "Council Member; City of Saratoga Election Information November 4, 2014 Election". www.smartvoter.org. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ "Council Member; City of Saratoga Election Information November 6, 2018 Election". smartvoter.org. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kumar 🇺🇸, 🇺🇸 Rishi. "My story: An improbable political journey". rishikumarforcongress.substack.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Congress 2020, Rishi Kumar for. "Debate outcome: Progressive Democrat Rishi Kumar and Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18)". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Grocott, Matt. "Candidate Kumar". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ Arts, Spotted Triforce. "Rishi believes in Bipartisanship". rishikumar.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ "Rishi Kumar wins while Anna Eshoo sees plummeting support | India Post News Paper". 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Congress 2020, Rishi Kumar for. "Rishi Kumar's Vision for a Mega Silicon Valley". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ "Letter: Rishi Kumar a candidate for Congress who prioritizes climate". The Mercury News. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ Congress 2020, Rishi Kumar for. "Rishi Kumar Supports Medicare For All". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ Arts, Spotted Triforce. "Pro-Choice | Rishi Kumar's Priorities". rishikumar.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
- ↑ Arts, Spotted Triforce. "Rishi Has a Fiscally Moderate Policy". rishikumar.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
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