Raj Shukla Runs for Mayor of Madison

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Indian-American Raj Shukla, erstwhile environmental activist under Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, has publicly announced his candidacy for mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.  

Shukla, the current director of the River Alliance of Wisconsin, also leads the Sustainable Madison Committee to safeguard the collective health and environmental integrity of the city and its people. Specifically, he has “forged new, market-based programs that work with farmers to limit pollution that hurts lakes and streams,” according to www.rajshukla.com.

The 42 year-old believes strongly in Madison’s influential role in driving prosperity for the state as a whole, and is committed to reducing the adversities posed by socioeconomic inequalities in the job market; he further said that more efficient public transit and increasing low-cost housing around the state are critical solutions for the inequality he describes, reported the Wisconsin State Journal.

The mayoral candidate is campaigning on sustainability in infrastructure and industry as well, his primary area of study and lobbying expertise.

Shukla is a graduate of the University of Madison-Wisconsin, worked on several AmeriCorps, and was involved with training efforts for local candidates to tap resources and utilize them effectively for Democratic causes for Progressive Majority Wisconsin,  according to madison365.com. He lives with his wife and three children in Madison. As the son of Indian immigrants, Shukla recognizes the potential for social and legal change with the support of a strong, diverse community.

A primary has been set for Feb. 19, 2019, and the general election is April 2, 2019. Democratic candidates include Satya Rhodes-Conway, Maurice Cheeks, and Brenda Konkel. The Cap Times stated that, among the pack of party hopefuls, Shukla is alone in having limited experience working at any level of government.