Raja Krishnamoorthi is currently serving a third term in Illinois' 8th Congressional District. He is strongly involved in his local community, and he understands the issues important to the Hindu American community. He gave his strong support to the Hindu American community's effort to reform textbooks in California. He also has supported resolutions condemning hate crimes against all communities, including the Hindu American community.

Arjun Batra is running for re-election in San José, California as the Councilmember from District 10. He is the only Hindu-American & Indian-American on the San José city council, the city with the largest number of Hindu & Indian-Americans residents in the Bay Area. He was instrumental in the San Jose City Council Proclamations for Indian Heritage Month, Diwali, and Indian Independence Day. He hosted the flag raising at City Hall Plaza for Indian Independence Day, the highest attended flag raising ever, and lit city hall with the tricolors. As a former high-tech executive at Intel and IBM who has worked for years in advisory roles in city government, Arjun is putting his private and public sector experience to serve all people in the district and the city of San Jose where his family has lived for 40 years.

Jenifer Rajkumar currently represents the 38th New York State Assembly District and is running for New York City Comptroller. She is a civil rights lawyer, and was formerly a Professor at CUNY and a New York State Government official. She was dedicated to representing all New Yorkers as a Special Counsel and as Director of Immigration Affairs for New York State under Governor Andrew Cuomo, and then came back home to Queens to represent the diverse community there as a State Assembly member. She is the first Hindu legislator in the New York State Assembly.

Councilmember Raj Salwan is an active Hindu American who has been at the forefront on issues related to the Hindu American community. He has stood with the Hindu American community on issues specific to them. He has led the city in recognizing Hindu American Month in the City of Fremont since 2014. He is the only Hindu-American & Indian-American on the Fremont city council, the city with the largest percentage of Hindu & Indian-Americans residents in the Bay Area. He has been instrumental in explaining Hindu customs to city and county staff to help facilitate Hindu functions such as Holi. Coucilmember Salwan grew up in Fremont and is proud to call it home. Fremont gave him the opportunity to go from that one-bedroom apartment to help run a successful business & serve as a Human Relations Commissioner, Planning Commissioner, Councilmember, and as two-time Vice Mayor of Fremont. He attended University of California, Irvine and studied Biological Sciences, and he also has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University.

First elected in 2018, Richa Awasthi was unanimously named Mayor by her colleagues in 2021, making history as Foster City’s first female immigrant Mayor, and the first female Hindu and Indian Mayor in San Mateo County. Richa’s priorities are fiscal responsibility, inclusive representation, and creating a safe, sustainable Foster City in which all residents can thrive. Richa stands for a strong US-India relationship. She is proud of her Hindu identity and stands against Hinduphobia. On issues critical to Hindu Americans, she received a perfect score from HAPAC! As Mayor and Councilmember, Richa has worked diligently to enhance the quality of life for Foster City residents. Her notable achievements include overseeing the Levee improvements project, the largest infrastructure project in the City’s history, which was completed on time and under budget. She has also focused on supporting small businesses, schools, and seniors, with priorities in public safety, infrastructure, traffic solutions, cooperation with school boards, and improving parks. Richa has represented Foster City on several local committees and boards, including the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG), League of California Cities, Emergency Services Council, Peninsula Clean Energy Authority, Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance (Commute.org), and South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA). She also served as a Board Member at the Joint Powers Authority Fire Board for the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department and as an Ex-officio Board Member of the San Mateo Foster City Education Foundation. Professionally, Richa has a 20+ year career in banking and finance, and worked for some of the world’s leading banks.

Satish Chandra is running for Santa Clara City Council District #1. With a robust career spanning 25 years in the IT industry and more than a decade as a proud resident of Santa Clara, he is dedicated to using his experience to serve this vibrant community. He has a proven track record of effective leadership and community development, serving as a member of Santa Clara Police Department’s Chief's Advisory Committee, representing this district on the Charter Review Committee, & as former President of the Toscana Rivermark community association. He served as National Convenor of Americans for Hindus, the nation’s only Hindu American Super PAC. He is also actively involved with non-profit organizations such as the Don Callejon School Community Organization and the Sankara Eye Foundation. Satish has been a strong advocate for the Hindu American community & scored perfectly on HAPAC’s candidate questionnaire.

Chandra Wagh is a seasoned high-tech Program Management Executive, Entrepreneur, Community Leader, and Health & Wellness Coach. After immigrating from a small village in India, he found his second home in Fremont. Driven by his deep commitment to community service, Chandra is running for Fremont City Council with a vision to build a thriving and vibrant city. Guided by the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the Sanskrit belief that "the world is one family"—Chandra is committed to fostering social harmony and unity. As a health and wellness coach, he offers his expertise to residents in need, helping to alleviate stress, depression, and anxiety while cultivating stronger, more resilient relationships within the community.

Rinu Nair is a former Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) student and FUSD Wellness Committee Chair currently running for Fremont Unified School District Board Trustee Area 4. As chair of the FUSD Wellness Committee, she forwarded a proposal to the Board of Education recommending the introduction of Hindi to Fremont Unified School District. Rinu has also initiated policies such as the Sandy Hook Promise which created anonymous reporting systems for mental, physical, and violent threats on campus and integrated mental health into district guidelines - something that had never been done before. She is now running to provide a student-focused perspective to the issues the board faces and is running on a platform of quality education, student wellness, and campus safety. She has spoken in support of recognizing Hinduphobia in city council meetings. Rooted in the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), she seeks to serve her broader community through her candidacy.  Rinu scored perfectly on HAPAC’s candidate questionnaire and she aims to continue being a strong advocate for the Hindu community.

Vasanth Shetty, a candidate for San Ramon City Council District 1, is a proud Hindu American and long-time San Ramon resident who has been actively involved in the community for over fifteen years. His unwavering dedication is reflected in his actions and decisions, driven by a passion to improve the quality of life for all. As an immigrant, devoted father, and husband, Vasanth values compassion and hard work and is deeply committed to making San Ramon a safe and vibrant place for its residents. With an MBA and extensive experience in finance, technology, and program management, he has successfully united community leaders through events that address shared challenges. For the past two years, his work on the San Ramon Economic Development Council has focused on strengthening the local economy, supporting small businesses, and fostering growth opportunities. Vasanth strongly advocates for public safety, fiscal responsibility, and integrating innovative technologies to enhance city operations. His leadership is rooted in integrity, empathy, and a deep commitment to serving the community.

Lakshmi Sharma brings over 28 years of experience as an executive, coach, board advisor, and community and education volunteer. Throughout her career, she has managed hundreds of millions of dollars in budgets and led globally diverse teams. Lakshmi has extensive experience serving on company boards, including two startups, and nonprofits. She has also contributed to educational boards like Loyola Marymount University and Lynbrook Excellence in Education. Lakshmi was the first Indian woman in senior leadership roles such as Chief Product and Strategy Officer at companies like Fastly, Target, and Google Cloud. As a 21 year CUSD resident, volunteer, and mother of CUSD/FUHSD graduates, she has witnessed the education system’s profound impact on families. Her unique people, operational, and financial skills, combined with deep district-knowledge and a commitment to equitable access of resources to all, positions her as a strong candidate for Cupertino Union School Board. Supporting her candidacy means ensuring a thriving, safe, and trusted district for all students, residents, and educators.

Ray Wang is running for Cupertino City Council to represent our diverse, vibrant, and hard-working community. As the son of immigrants, he understands the importance of hard work, strong family values, the need for diversity, and the power of creating opportunities for others. Ray served on the Cupertino Planning Commission, leading as chair twice. During his service, he worked hard to ensure that residents’ rights were restored in planning decisions, and new projects such as Westport were approved without infringing upon resident rights. Ray championed efforts to protect the suburban quality of life that Cupertino residents expect, from Dark Skies programs to a housing element plan that did not destroy Cupertino’s suburban character. Ray also advocated for residents on issues such as 5G towers and their architectural standards.

Cupertino City Councilmember Kitty Moore is a Civil Engineer, Paralegal, and holds Environmental Studies certificates. Kitty has resided in Cupertino for 29 years and is the proud mom of two adult children who attended Cupertino public schools, work in tech and hold multiple degrees. Kitty's Council priorities are public safety, the environment, and fiscal accountability. Kitty believes we all deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness.

Vadim Katz is a long-time Mountain View resident with two children in the MVLA school district. He has a strong background in computer science and has worked as a mentor for young professionals. He is passionate about education and extracurricular activities and wants to contribute to creating a supportive environment for all students to have learning growth opportunities in high school. As a Jewish immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Vadim is well familiar with ethnicity based discrimination and success shaming. As a board member, Vadim will ensure our school curriculum is free of Hinduphobia and all other forms of bias, and will work to maintain high standards for STEM and Arts education.

Alex Levich is a dedicated advocate for education with an MBA in Marketing and Management of Technology from UC Berkeley, and a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. She brings over 20 years of experience in product management and development. As a parent with two children in the district, she is personally invested in ensuring high-quality education and equitable access for all students. Alex’s priorities include expanding academic programs, improving mental health resources, and advocating for competitive teacher compensation. She is committed to standing firm for the Hindu community, fighting Hinduphobia, and opposing all forms of hatred. Supporting Alex means promoting a safe, inclusive, and thriving district for all.

Avin’s ancestors belong to the Indian diaspora that migrated to Fiji, where he was born. Avin moved to the U.S. in 1995 and settled in South San Francisco in 1997, where he and his wife are now raising their family. Presently, he serves as Vice-Chair of the Measure T Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee for the South San Francisco Unified School District and as chair of the South San Francisco Housing Authority, which is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Avin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, a Master’s degree in Engineering, an MBA, and a Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on Finance. He is dedicated to supporting several of the Hindu American Political Action Committee's objectives, including promoting religious freedom, protecting civil and human rights, and advocating for other Hindu American interests.

Jeff is running for re-election for Santa Clara County District Attorney. Jeff has stood with the community on Hinduphobia, hate crimes, discrimination, and the plight of Hindu minorities. He understands subtle forms of Hinduphobia and discrimination as well based on dealing with anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate, and racism, and how an inaccurate and negative portrayal of the community leads to hate & discrimination. He is a seasoned District Attorney who thinks through common sense solutions to problems facing the local community, criminal justice reform, and crime. He fights for crime victims and to keep our community safe. He has a staff representing the diversity of the county and has strong connections with the local Hindu and Indian American community.

Murali is an engineer, technologist, and an entrepreneur of four startups. He is a 2022 candidate for Sunnyvale City Council District 3. He will be the first Indian-American and Hindu-American on the council, if elected. He has lived in Sunnyvale for over 25 years and has been involved in the city, the community, and the neighborhood for over 15 years. He was recognized as the “Distinguished Resident of 2021”. He organized the first Diwali celebration in Sunnyvale with over 2000 people attending. He advocates cultural diversity, inclusion and strongly denounces discrimination and hatred. He is a strong believer of Bhagavad Gita and practices its teachings in his daily life.

Dr. Yang Shao received a perfect score from Hindu American PAC's candidate questionnaire. He is currently serving as Councilmember in the City of Fremont, CA. From 2014-2018 he was a School Board Trustee to the Fremont Unified School District. In 2018, he served as President of the FUSD School Board and member of the Liaison Committee between FUSD School Board and Fremont City Council. He was the Vice Mayor of the City of Fremont in 2021. Currently, he also serves as Vice Chair, Housing Commission, Housing Authority of the County of Alameda. He is a board member of Citizens for Better Community and Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (East Bay Chapter and Greater Fremont Chapter). He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in polymer chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China. He earned both a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University. He has been serving in the local biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries for over 20 years.

Lisa Gillmor is a fourth-generation Santa Clara resident and has served our community since 2011. She served on the Santa Clara City Council from 2011-16, then 1992-2000; was appointed mayor in 2016, and then elected to lead the city in 2018. She has worked closely with the Hindu American and Indian American community in Santa Clara and greater Silicon Valley.

Arun Goel is running for another term on the Dublin San Ramon Services District, where he is currently completing an appointed term. From 2016-2020, he was a City of Dublin Councilmember and Vice-Mayor, and prior to that served on its Planning Commission. He has a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering (Hydrology/Hydraulics, Transportation, and Construction Management) from San Jose State University.