Indian American from Maryland to run for Congress

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NEW YORK: Indian American politician Aruna Miller, from Maryland has raised more than $350,000 in the first seven weeks of her campaign to win a Democratic seat in Congress in the 6th District.

Miller came to the United States from India when she was only seven, “I can still remember that snowy day, tucked away safely in my dad’s arms, as we stepped off the plane in New York City. I didn’t know it then, but America had just welcomed me home, and it was my turn to give up who I had been for what I was to become, an American,” she said on her website.

She learned English by attending public schools, worked in a fast food restaurant during high school, applied for student loans, obtained Pell grants and went to college to study civil engineering.

Miller eventually ended up marrying her college sweetheart and they moved to Maryland where she juggled the roles of being a mom, a daughter and a working woman as she raised a family of three daughters and a few dogs, cared for her aging parents, and worked full time, “I chose a career in public service and worked for 25 years as a Transportation Engineer for Montgomery County and other local governments,” she said.

But it wasn’t until 2000 during the Bush vs. Gore election that she started gaining interest in politics.

She saw that at that point, the future of the country did not lie in the hands of the voters but in the hands of the Supreme Court and she realized that the “Democracy needed me” but “not as a bystander or to cast a vote” instead someone who participated in it, daily.

So Miller started to volunteer locally, meeting face to face with members of the community and was eventually elected to the Maryland House of Delegates for the 15th Legislative District in 2010.

“As an engineer I’ve seen firsthand what a big impact, small legislative changes can have on people’s lives. My legislation is designed not to check partisan boxes but to help people in their daily lives. I have continually stood up for a progressive agenda to benefit working families, women, children, and seniors,” Miller exclaimed.

“I believe a strong economy starts with high-quality education and the best investment is in our public schools. I worked in partnership with academic and business leaders to invest in STEM education, help to streamline the regulatory process for small businesses, and bring 21st century jobs to Maryland,” Miller added.

With her engineering background, Miller has worked towards infrastructure “so that people of all abilities have equitable access to their community and jobs.”

Along with Miller, both Del. Bill Frick and state Sen. Roger Manno are running for the Congressional seat that was held by Rep. John Delaney, who now has plans to run as a Democratic candidate for President in 2020.