Indian-American candidate wins Democratic primary in Georgia: Susheela Jayapal loses in Oregon

WASHINGTON: Ashwin Ramaswami, the first Gen Z Indian-American candidate running for a US state legislature, has won the Democratic primary in the state of Georgia.

Susheela Jayapal, the sister of Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, however, lost her Congressional primary bid in the state of Oregon.

“In November, I’ll face Republican Senator Shawn Still – who was indicted alongside Donald Trump for being a fake elector in 2020. It’s the most flippable State Senate seat in Georgia,” Ramaswami, 23, said.

Ramaswami graduated from Georgetown University over the weekend

Ramaswami's parents immigrated to the US from Tamil Nadu in 1990. Generation Z (also known as Zoomers) encompasses those born between 1997 and 2012.

If elected, he would be the youngest ever elected representative in the State of Georgia and the first Indian-American to win this position in Georgia.

In Oregon, Susheela, 62, lost her maiden Congressional bid. She lost to State Representative Maxine Dexter in the third Congressional District of Oregon.

“I just called and extended my congratulations to Maxine Dexter on her election to represent Oregon’s Third Congressional District. I am so proud of the campaign that I and my supporters ran. We were clear, from the beginning, that we were going to run a campaign based on values, and on our vision for the country and the district,” she said in a statement.

Dexter received 51 per cent of the votes.

“I am so, so proud of my incredible sister Susheela Jayapal. This wasn’t the result our family was hoping for, but I know Susheela put everything on the line and ran a proudly progressive campaign rooted in people-power,” said Pramila Jayapal.

A mother of two, Susheela has been an outspoken champion for reproductive rights, education, and economic justice. Before entering elected office, she was a dedicated community advocate and volunteer, serving on numerous local boards.