Two Indian American candidates to face run-off elections in Texas
Two of the
Indian American candidates
, who contested for municipal elections in Texas last weekend, are headed to a runoff. Sanjay Singhal, a candidate in the Sugar Land district 2 city council race, and Sukh Kaur, San Antonio, district 1 city councilwoman, will face the run-off elections in June.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Singhal, an engineer and the president of the Telfair HOA, received 39 per cent of the votes in the May 3 election while contender Nasir Hussain received 22%.
Kaur, who finished first among a crowded field of 10 candidates, fell short of gaining the 50 per cent plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff. She will face business owner Patty Gibbons in the runoff election.
'I'm humbled, grateful, and energised by the strong support I received from Sugar Land district 2 voters,' Singhal said after the election.
He added that his view that the candidates need to focus on local issues faced by citizens and seek votes based on their past performance and not identity or race, was reinforced. He said that he is committed to serving the community.
Kaur said that she was proud of the team that she had put together. First elected in 2023, she is an educationist and a real estate business woman and the first Indian American to serve on the city council.
In her campaign, she focused on affordable housing for residents of her district.
Indian American businessman Gurvinder Singh, who contested for the Sachse City Council Place 6, received 37.36 per cent of votes while the winner Matthew Prestenberg, received 62.64 per cent. For the
Sugar Land City Council
at-large Position 1, Dr George M. Kakkanatt, an Indian American veteran, community leader, and public servant, received 19.38 per cent.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Jim Vonderhaar with 37.11% and Maggy Horgan, with almost 21 per cent of votes, are headed for a run-off for this seat.
In the race for Sugar Land district 4, Rick Miller won without a run off; defeating, among others, Indian American candidate and former planning and zoning commissioner Sapana Patel.
The state of Texas has emerged as a hub for Indian Americans with several running for elected office at different levels including federal, state, city, and school boards.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
12 hours ago
- Business Standard
Two Indian-Americans secure significant city council seats in Texas
In a significant political stride for the Indian diaspora in the United States, Sanjay Singhal and Sukh Kaur, both Indian Americans, have won city council runoff elections in Texas, while Carol McCutcheon has been elected as Mayor of Sugar Land, a Houston suburb with a large Indian-origin population. In Sugar Land's District 2, Sanjay Singhal, a retired energy executive and graduate of IIT Delhi, secured a decisive victory over his nearest rival Nasir Hussain. According to unofficial results from Fort Bend County, Singhal received 2,346 votes to Hussain's 777. "This victory belongs to the residents of District 2,"Singhal told supporters. "I am deeply grateful for the community's support and ready to serve with transparency and dedication." Singhal, who has lived in Sugar Land for over 30 years with his wife, their two sons and daughters-in-law, ran on a platform focused on public safety, infrastructure improvements, and accountable governance. In San Antonio, Sukh Kaur, a Sikh American and education reformer, scored a landslide victory to retain her District 1council seat, defeating challenger Patty Gibbons with 65 per cent of the vote. "I think we really talked to the community and shared that we want to work," Kaur told media after the results. "And one of the things that we said is District 1 is about preserving our history while still moving our district forward." Kaur, a nonprofit leader who lives in San Antonio with her husband and two children, has focused her public service on affordable housing, safer neighbourhoods, and improved transit systems. In a closely watched mayoral contest in Sugar Land, Carol McCutcheon defeated William Ferguson to become the city's new mayor, succeeding Joe Zimmerman. McCutcheon secured 6,103 votes, while Ferguson received 5,402, according to unofficial tallies. McCutcheon, a retired reservoir engineer with decades of public service experience, said she entered the race to help guide Sugar Land's growth with "strategic vision". Her priorities include improving crime response, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring quality of life for residents. Additionally, Jim Vonderhaar won the City Council At-Large Position 1 seat with 6,048 votes, defeating Maggy Horgan who received 4,278. The latest round of municipal elections reinforces Texas' status as a growing hub of Indian-American civic engagement and leadership, with expanding representation in key urban centres like Houston and San Antonio. Swearing-in ceremonies for the new council members and mayor are expected in the coming weeks.
News18
17 hours ago
- News18
Indian-Americans win key city council seats in Texas; Sugar Land gets new mayor
Last Updated: Houston Jun 8 (PTI) In a significant political stride for the Indian diaspora in the United States, Sanjay Singhal and Sukh Kaur, both Indian Americans, have won city council runoff elections in Texas, while Carol McCutcheon has been elected as Mayor of Sugar Land, a Houston suburb with a large Indian-origin population. In Sugar Land's District 2, Sanjay Singhal, a retired energy executive and graduate of IIT Delhi, secured a decisive victory over his nearest rival Nasir Hussain. According to unofficial results from Fort Bend County, Singhal received 2,346 votes to Hussain's 777. 'This victory belongs to the residents of District 2," Singhal told supporters. 'I am deeply grateful for the community's support and ready to serve with transparency and dedication." Singhal, who has lived in Sugar Land for over 30 years with his wife, their two sons and daughters-in-law, ran on a platform focused on public safety, infrastructure improvements, and accountable governance. In San Antonio, Sukh Kaur, a Sikh American and education reformer, scored a landslide victory to retain her District 1council seat, defeating challenger Patty Gibbons with 65 per cent of the vote. 'I think we really talked to the community and shared that we want to work," Kaur told media after the results. 'And one of the things that we said is District 1 is about preserving our history while still moving our district forward." Kaur, a nonprofit leader who lives in San Antonio with her husband and two children, has focused her public service on affordable housing, safer neighbourhoods, and improved transit systems. In a closely watched mayoral contest in Sugar Land, Carol McCutcheon defeated William Ferguson to become the city's new mayor, succeeding Joe Zimmerman. McCutcheon secured 6,103 votes, while Ferguson received 5,402, according to unofficial tallies. McCutcheon, a retired reservoir engineer with decades of public service experience, said she entered the race to help guide Sugar Land's growth with 'strategic vision". Her priorities include improving crime response, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring quality of life for residents. Additionally, Jim Vonderhaar won the City Council At-Large Position 1 seat with 6,048 votes, defeating Maggy Horgan who received 4,278. The latest round of municipal elections reinforces Texas' status as a growing hub of Indian-American civic engagement and leadership, with expanding representation in key urban centres like Houston and San Antonio. Swearing-in ceremonies for the new council members and mayor are expected in the coming weeks. PTI SHK RUK RUK First Published: June 09, 2025, 03:30 IST
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is Zohran Mamdani? Mira Nair's son in contest to become NYC's first Indian-origin Muslim mayor
Indian-origin democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has emerged as a surprise contender in the 2025 New York mayoral race and surged into the spotlight due to the coveted endorsement of Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. At just 33 years old, Mamdani pitched himself as the candidate to beat the incumbent NYC mayor, Andrew Cuomo, with a focus on housing, public transit, and economic justice to win over voters. If elected, Zohran Mamdani would be New York City's first Muslim and Indian American mayor. Born in Kampala, Uganda, Zohran Mamdani moved to New York City at age seven and later became a naturalised citizen. His mother, Mira Nair, is a celebrated Indian-American filmmaker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a Columbia University professor. Mira Nair's son brings Bollywood flair, Hindi to New York mayoral campaign | Video According to the Associated Press news agency, Mamdani co-founded his college's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and entered public life with a clear message: economic justice for working-class New Yorkers. Zohran Mamdani was elected to the state Assembly in 2020, representing a district in Queens. His most notable legislative accomplishment was pushing through a pilot program that made a handful of city buses free for a year. Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign has been full of big promises — free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for people living in rent-regulated apartments, new affordable housing and raising taxes on the wealthy — all packaged in well-produced social media videos. Also Read | In US, Shashi Tharoor responds to Pakistan's victim of terrorism claim, cites Hillary Clinton's warning Critics say his hopeful visions get blurry when it comes to detail, and have also questioned the cost and feasibility of his proposals, many of which would need support from the state Legislature and governor. His open support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, sharp criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, and vow to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in New York have alienated some Jewish voters and drawn national scrutiny. Also Read | Expert's 'worse than Covid' warning after fungus smuggled into US from China However, to win, Mamdani will need to expand his support beyond the city's young, progressive crowd to the more moderate voters who have been a critical factor in past elections. (with AP inputs)
