Washington, Jan 28 (IANS) Calling for a return to “duty and decency” in policymaking, Indian American candidate Rakhi Israni said she is running for Congress to re-engage communities that feel locked out of decisions shaping their daily lives, from affordability to healthcare.
Israni, who announced her Congressional run last week, said she decided to enter the race after years of working on service and policy issues, at a time when she believes public discourse has drifted away from solving real problems.
“Problems are not getting solved,” Israni told IANS in an exclusive interview, adding that quality of life has deteriorated even as political rhetoric grows louder and less reflective of people’s concerns. Her campaign raised more than USD1 million in the first 24 hours of her announcement.
Israni said the decision to run came together quickly after the seat in California’s 14th Congressional District became open. The district is currently represented by Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is running for governor. “This opportunity came up, and I was asked to run for it,” she said, describing the move as sudden but necessary to “wake up the community” and encourage greater participation in policy making.
Israni said she is “a mother of four, an attorney, an entrepreneur, and an educator,” and stressed that family and service have guided her choices. She said her involvement in handling issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, housing, and affordability convinced her that she could have a larger impact by seeking federal office.
Describing the 14th District, Israni said it covers parts of the Bay Area, including Fremont, Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin. Indian Americans are present in sizeable numbers in these areas.
She noted that the district is about “40 per cent Asian” and has one of the largest populations of Indian registered voters in the country. She described it as an educated district with above-average income and home ownership, where families are focused on stability and opportunity for their children.
On her campaign priorities, Israni said the central focus is restoring attention to the quality of life. “The main priority is bringing back a focus to the quality of life for people,” she said, pointing to the rising cost of living, affordability, and access to basic needs such as healthcare.
She said her approach has been shaped by listening to the people affected by policies and understanding where changes can benefit the largest number of families.
Responding to a series of questions, Israni was critical of how Congress has functioned in recent years, saying policymaking has increasingly become about “social media retweets or likes,” rather than solutions. She said politics has catered to “the noisier few,” leaving many people feeling unheard. “Most people just want to be heard,” she said, adding that restoring a sense of duty and decency is essential to rebuilding trust.
Asked about competition in the race, Israni said her biggest challenge would come from those who prefer the status quo and want to dictate how people should think or live. She said she hopes voters become more engaged with policies and their long-term impact, especially on children and future generations.
On foreign policy, Israni said that while her primary responsibility as a member of Congress would be improving life in her district, she sees strong US-India ties as important, particularly given the district’s proximity to Silicon Valley. She said strengthening relations between “the two largest democracies in the world” is relevant to the technology sector and to the broader well-being of people in the region.
Israni said her campaign raised $1 million within the first 24 hours, with support coming from across the country. She emphasised that enthusiasm has gone beyond fundraising, with many supporters eager to feel included in the political process and to have a voice. She also said local officials have begun reaching out, and confirmed that Jeff Rosen was the first public endorser of her campaign.
Explaining her values, Israni said she describes herself as a “dharmic” candidate, using the concept of dharma as a decision-making framework centered on duty, service, and tackling challenges. She said the idea is not tied to religion but to principles that promote harmony and improve society for everyone, regardless of belief or background.
Israni’s parents immigrated to the United States in 1967 for education and raised their family in Houston. They instilled in her a strong sense of community service. She said her family is Sindhi, with roots in Uttar Pradesh and Bombay, and that her upbringing continues to shape her commitment to public service.
Currently, there are six Indian Americans in the House of Representatives. If elected, Israni would become the seventh Indian American member of Congress and only the second Indian American woman to serve in the House, reflecting the community’s increasing participation in national public life.
–IANS
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