Indian American attorney Rishi Bagga won the Democratic nomination for a seat from House District 35 in the Florida House of Representatives. In a close race, Bagga defeated Navy veteran Tom Keen.
According to the unofficial results from Florida Election watch, Bagga polled 4,033 or 38.7 percent of the votes against Keen's 3,964 or 38.1 percent in the August primary.
Bagga moved to the United States when he was 10 years old and would be the first South Asian American in the state legislature in Florida, if elected. Bagga will face off against Fred Hawkins, who won 52.2 percent of the vote in the Republican party's primaries, in the November 8 elections.
According to Bagga's official website, he announced that the growing South Asian American population in the state is not well represented.
"And that's one of the most important reasons why I chose to run," Bagga added. "Our district is 8 percent Asian."
As an attorney and a small business owner, Bagga believes in fairness, justice, and common sense solutions, according to his website. He fought for justice for victims of domestic violence crimes during his work as a prosecutor. He is adept at conflict resolution as he has fought for his clients and brought parties together to resolve issues.
Bagga's focus will be on expanding Florida's economy while ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to succeed, as per his website manifesto.
"It took me 10 years to become a citizen, which I finally did on August 23, 2002. Never could I have imagined that, 20 years later to the day, I would win an election and be the candidate for my party--truly a reaffirmation of the American Dream."Rishi Bagga, Attorney & Democratic Nominee for Florida House District 35.
Bagga lives in the Stoneybrook East neighborhood in the East Orlando/Alafaya area with his wife Shelly and their 23-month-old son, Gyan, according to a report by the American Bazaar.
(With inputs from American Bazaar)
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