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Our Correspondent in New Jersey
Upendra Chivukula, the first Indian American mayor of the Franklin Township, has won from the 17th District to the New Jersey Assembly as a Democrat. He is the second Indian to win an assembly seat from the East Coast.
George James, a Republican candidate for the Westwood Township Council, also won the election.
Most other Indian Americans in the fray got a sizeable number of votes. It was a Democratic sweep in New Jersey.
Now, three Indians are in the state legislatures: Satveer Chadhury is a state senator in Minnesota and Kumar Barve in Maryland.
Chivukula got 25,948 votes. His running mate Joseph V. Egan got 27,552. Both won. The Republican vote: Catherine Barrier got 13,904 votes and Anthony Mazzola 13,807.
Chivukula's candidacy from the 17th District was strongly supported by Democratic stalwarts such as Congressman Frank Pallone and Middlesex County Chairman Joseph Spicuzzo
Around 200,000 people inhabit Chivukula's district and about 5 percent of them are Asians.
"I know you will make the Democratic Party proud," Sen Robert G Torricelli wrote to Chivukula recently.
Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle wrote: "I appreciate the leadership, energy and ideas you offer... Your colleagues...speak very highly of your ability and commitment."
New Jersey State AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, New Jersey Education Association PAC and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association were among the important organisations that supported Chivukula.
The District contains Middlesex County municipalities of Highland Park, Milltown, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, and Piscataway.
A long-time resident of the Franklin Township, Chivukula is married to Dayci. They have two children, a son, Suraj, and daughter, Damianty.
Chivukula is a highly motivated person whose determination and civil mindedness has benefited every community in which he has lived. His humility, sense of fairness and his loyalty have won him the respect of everyone.
"Many voters did not know if I was a man or a woman," Chivukula, 50, said. He was referring to the ignorance of mainstream Americans about South Asians, particularly Indians.
But as Franklin mayor, the Andhra Pradesh native worked hard to change the negative perception about desis in the American society
Before becoming a mayor in 2000, he was deputy mayor in 1998. He worked as the Democratic Party Municipal Chair from 1993 to 1996. He also served the township and Somerset County in various capacities for a number of years.
Former governor Jim Florio appointed him as a public member, New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners. He was also a member of the delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1996 and 2000.
Chivukula is a national committee member of the Association of Indians in America, former secretary of NJ Chapter of the Indian American Forum for Political Education and a former president of the Asian American Political Coalition.
He works as director of marketing at Sira Tech International, Inc, Somerset, NJ.
A co-author of six books, Chivukula has technical and business experience working at AT&T and Bell Laboratories, where he implemented supplier management practices. He has helped organisations achieve higher productivity through workflow automation, strategic technology management, activity-based costing and process management.
Chivukula has a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from City College of the City University of New York.
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