Indian-American Congressional candidate from Arizona raises record campaign funding

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, a Democrat running for the U.S. Congress from Arizona’s 6th District announced her campaign raised a record-breaking amount in the final quarter of 2019.

Tipirneni announced Jan. 6, 2020, that she raised more than $455,000 in the final three months of 2019, in her bid to get her party’s endorsement in August and unseat Congressman David Schweikert, R-AZ in November.

While these numbers are not yet displayed on the Federal Election Commission website, Tipirneni has been an adept fundraiser as the figures show for the period up to Sept. 30, 2019, when she had cash-on-hand of  $603,496.25.

With the newly announced figures, the Indian-American candidate’s yearly total is an impressive  $1.2 million plus, and her cash on hand is over $905,000.

“This is the highest off-year quarter ever and biggest off year total in the history of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District,” Tipirneni’s campaign claimed.

“I’m so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we received in 2019. It’s clear the people of the 6th district are ready for change and a representative who will fight for them, not their special interest donors,” said Dr. Tipirneni.

Tipirneni’s campaign does not accept any corporate PAC money, and over 90% of her contributions were $100 or less, it said.

Her numbers way outshine those of another Indian-American candidate, Anita Malik, whose cash on hand as of Sept. 30, 2019, stood at $41,386.20.

At least five Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination in the late primaries Aug. 4, 2020, Ballotpedia.org shows.  Others could jump in before the filing deadline of April 6. Currently, other than Tipirneni and Malik, there is Karl Gentles, about whom fundraising data was not available on FEC’s website; Stephanie Rimmer, whose cash on hand as of Sept. 30, 2019 was $86,771.87; and Gene Sharer, about whom also no FEC data was available.

Tipirneni, a former emergency room physician serving the Phoenix area, who began focusing on cancer research after losing her mother and nephew to cancer, now leads teams of researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates in the fight to treat and cure breast cancer, prostate cancer, and childhood leukemia.

Dr. Tipirneni has lived in District 6 area for more than two decades with her husband also, a physician, Dr. Kishore Tipirneni. She earlier ran from District 8 before redistricting took place, and made a good showing against the Republican.

Currently, she looks like the most viable candidate for the Democratic Party as it seeks to turn a Red seat to Blue by defeating incumbent Republican Congressman David Schweikert.

Interestingly, in the 2018 general election, Malik, a first time candidate, won an impressive 44.8 percent of the vote to Shweikert’s 55.2 percent, after winning the Democratic primary.  Now Malik’s fundraising appears to be lagging even as Tipirneni gains numerous important endorsements, among them, Emily’s List, League of Conservation Voters, End Citizens United, Planned Parenthood, National Abortion Rights Action League, labor groups, and nine members of the Arizona state legislature.