Latest news with #SugarLandCityCouncil
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
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.
India Today
02-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Indian-origin candidates give a high five to Texas municipal elections
Texas, an American state with a significant Indian-American population, will hold its municipal elections on May 3 (Saturday). There are five Indian-origin candidates who have thrown their hats into the ring. Among them are a psychologist and a former US Air Force of the five are fighting to get re-elected in Texas, a state with over 450,000 Indian-American voting commenced on April 22 and continued until April 30, ahead of Election Day on May 3. Some of the important points in their portfolios are education, small businesses and advocating civil KAUR, GURVINDER SINGH FOR SAN ANTONIO, SACHSE CITYSukh Kaur, San Antonio's first South Asian city council member, is seeking re-election. She is up against nine opponents. Kaur is passionate about improving residents' quality of life, focusing on education, economic development, and priorities include infrastructure, public safety, community spaces, small businesses, and affordable housing. With a doctorate from Vanderbilt University and degrees from Rice University, Kaur champions a people-centric local government, striving to build a more equitable San Antonio for Singh is contesting elections for Sachse City Council Place 6. Singh was born to Indian immigrants and has been living in the US for 11 to Indian American Impact, an organisation representing Indian and South American communities, Gurvinder is a global humanitarian and dedicated civil rights advocate."I'm running for Sachse City Council Place 6. My agenda is simple: to listen, to lead, and to fight for the needs of our community. I'm ready to advocate for you. Vote early April 22–29 or on May 3," Gurvinder said in a social media post on Instagram."My key experiences included investing and managing businesses and developments, so one of my priorities is ensuring that Sachse is economically competitive with opportunities for diverse businesses to create jobs and grow," he said in a campaign is up against incumbent Matt INDIAN-ORIGIN PEOPLE CONTESTING THE CIVIC POLLSFormer US Air Force captain George M Kakkanatt is in the civil polls is contesting the election for Sugar Land City Council, District 2. A licenced psychologist and psychotherapist, Kakkanatt champions mental health and social the founding president of the South Indian US Chamber of Commerce and a Fort Bend Chamber member, he promotes economic growth and supports local businesses, The Times of India Singhal is running for Sugar Land City Council, District 2. Singhal has been living in Sugar Land for more than 10 has been actively engaged in local initiatives aimed at improving residents' well-being. He has been actively engaged in local initiatives aimed at improving residents' campaign priorities include keeping neighbourhoods safe, investing in future infrastructure, ensuring smart, responsible spending to keep taxes low, and keeping city government transparent and accountable, TOI Vohra is vying for Sugar Land City Council. He has been living in Sugar Land for 21 vows to tackle issues like traffic congestion, support first responders, and bring people together to build a stronger, safer, and more inclusive Sugar a graduate in law, is a small business CHARANIA RUNS FOR FBISD SCHOOL BOARDBesides, Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) will hold its Board of Trustees General Election on the same Afshi Charania is up against incumbent Rick Garcia for FBISD School Board.A long-time Fort Bend resident, small business owner, and community leader, Afshi will fight for fiscal responsibility, student wellness, and school board decisions that serve all families—equitably and transparently, according to Indian American Impact. advertisement
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Indian Americans running for key positions in Texas municipal elections
Sukh Kaur, Sanjay Singhal, and George M. Kakkanatt Municipal elections will be held across the state of Texas on May 3, Saturday. Texas has emerged as one of the American states with the largest Indian American population at an estimated 450,000, and not surprisingly, several members of the community are running for the municipal and school board elections this weekend. Dr. Sukh Kaur , who is running for San Antonio City Council District 1, is a first-term councilwoman who is in a tough race against nine opponents. In June 2023, she won the council election to represent District 1, defeating the incumbent. She is the first South Asian to serve on the San Antonio City Council, and she is committed to championing a local government that prioritises improving the quality of life for residents. Dr Kaur is passionate about education and economic development and works to build a more equitable San Antonio. She holds a doctorate in K-12 educational leadership from Vanderbilt University, an MBA, and a BA from Rice University. As a city councilmember, her work is centred around five key priorities: infrastructure, public safety, parks and community centres, small businesses, and affordable housing. Gurvinder Singh is running for the Sachse City Council Place 6. A son of Indian immigrants, Singh had made Sachse his home since 2014. His priority, if elected, will be to ensure that Sachse is economically competitive with other North Texas cities. He will also focus on opportunities for diverse businesses to create jobs and grow. Singh graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in telecommunications, and established successful ventures in real estate, construction, and insurance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest $200 in Amazon without buying stocks to earn a second salary Marketsall Sign Up Undo Dr George M. Kakkanatt, a decorated veteran, community leader, and dedicated public servant, is running for Sugar Land City Council, at-large position 1. He has lived for over 22 years with his wife, Sally , and their three children in Texas. A former US Air Force captain, Dr Kakkanatt is also a psychologist and psychotherapist and advocates for mental health and social justice. He holds master's degrees in English literature and social work and a Ph.D. in psychology. As the founding president of the South Indian US Chamber of Commerce and a Fort Bend Chamber member, he promotes economic growth and supports local businesses. Sanjay Singhal , an engineer and a resident of Sugar Land for over 10 years, is running for Sugar Land City Council, District 2. He has actively participated in the local community and focused on improving the quality of life of residents. In his corporate role, he has held senior executive experience and led diverse teams, overseen global operations, and managed strategic budgets, gaining valuable leadership experience and problem-solving skills that he now seeks to bring to the city council. His campaign priorities include keeping neighbourhoods safe, investing in future infrastructure, ensuring smart, responsible spending to keep taxes low, and keeping city government transparent and accountable. Sapana Patel is a two-term planning & zoning commissioner, appointed by the city council to serve the residents of Sugar Land in ensuring that development plans comply with city ordinances and the city's long-range land use plan. She is now running for Sugar Land City Council from District 4. Patel has been instrumental in leading community grassroots efforts to prevent incompatible and intrusive high-density development adjacent to District 4 neighbourhoods. She is also a nationally recognised realtor, and she mentors and trains new agents. She holds degrees in accounting and marketing from Houston Baptist University. Impact Fund, an organisation that supports Indian Americans and South Asians running for political office, has endorsed Dr Kaur and Singh for the Texas local elections. 'Local elections often have the biggest impact on our daily lives, yet turnout and participation, especially among our communities, remain low,' the organisation said in a recent statement announcing the endorsement. The state of Texas also has some Indian Americans in important elected offices, including Ken Mathew, who was elected Mayor for Stafford in June 2023, having already served on the city council since May 2006. Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George was recently urged to step down after he faced money laundering charges. Judge Surendran K. Pattel, who was born and raised in India and was elected judge of the 240th district court in Fort Bend County in 2022. Sherine Thomas (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Texas 353rd District Court. She ran and won in the general election in November 2024 and assumed office on January 1, 2025. Her current term ends on December 31, 2028. Her family immigrated to the US from Delhi in 1971. She has handled cases at every level of state and federal trial and appellate courts, including presenting oral argument at the Texas Supreme Court.
