In a crucial special election on January 7th, Virginia state lawmaker Suhas Subramanyam will be running for the seat vacated by Democrat State Senator Suhas Subramanyam‘s election to the US Congress in November, Kannan Srinivasan, who became the first American American immigrant to remain sworn-in as state delegate a year earlier. The Democratic representative is known for working across the hall after retiring from a long and successful career in finance and firm analysis for public services and life. Srinivasan, who is deeply engaged in local Democratic politicians, safely passed eight pieces of legislation last year, almost all of them with republican help. Srinivasan spoke with Ishani Duttagupta of the Times of India on a range of topics, from women’s reproductive rights to good public education, issues he will firmly support if he is elected as a condition senator. Edited passages from the meeting:
Q: You are running for the Virginia condition Senate for the seats that Suhas Subramanyam won the US House of Representatives for, and J. J. Singh has been chosen by you for your existing council seat. Are Indian Americans extremely putting up candidates for Virginian offices in high-profile elections?
A: Absolutely, particularly in northern Virginia. Also, in Richmond, the new mayor Danny Avula is a good friend of mine. He’s Indian American, originally from Hyderabad, and the first immigrant to be elected mayor of Richmond. In Virginia, there is a lot of interest among the Asian and Indian American community to serve in administration and public offices and participate in electoral politics. I am the first Indian American delegate elected to the Virginia House, representing Loudoun, and I’m now running for the state Senate to replace Congressman Subramanyam. For my House seat of District 26, I have endorsed J.J. Singh, who won the Democratic Primary. We are both on the ballot on Tuesday for the special election to fill these two open seats.
What have been some of your social features as a first-generation refugee from India?
A: I’m a chartered accountant and I came here to the US in 1992 to pursue higher education. My wife [Jayashree] and I are both from Chennai and we came for higher education like many Indians. I had a very successful private sector career in finance having worked for NEW Asurion Corporation and Chef José Andrés’ restaurant group. In my first job, I helped the company grow from a very small firm to Number 1, globally, in its field. Public service is a calling for us. My wife’s grandfather, Dr. V. Varadhachari, was the elected chairman of Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu in the 1950s & 1960s and did successful pioneering projects. He was also a physician surgeon and had worked as a freedom fighter with Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru and K. Kamraj. Inspired by him, it was our desire to give back to this country having learnt from our lived experiences of dealing with the immigration system and the healthcare system. As a young graduate student, I was hit by a truck in 1993, and my wife had to undergo a surgery; we were denied Medicaid coverage. We realised that serving in public office is the best way to give back and contribute. I have also served as chairman of the Virginia Medicaid Board (DMAS) for seven years under three governors. Coming from the world’s largest democracy to the oldest democracy, I have chosen public service to give back to our community and showcase what we can do to improve society and provide good governance.
Q: As an elected member in state and an Indian National community leader, what is your opinion on this? Over the past several days, there has been an extraordinary spike of racist attacks against American professionals in the US on the H-1B work permits.
A: It is very unfortunate. I myself came to the US on an F-1 student visa and was then on an H-1B visa. I went on to a green card and then got citizenship. So I absolutely know the whole process because I have lived through it; and it is extremely unfortunate to hear the recent racist rhetoric. A calibrated improvement and checks and balances, in the H-1B visa process, needs to happen; but the value that this visa category has brought to this country and to companies here is immense. I was, in fact, the very first H-1B employee in my company; and after that they would have had thousands. So I know the process and the value it brings; even though I support checks and balances.
As a first-generation immigrant who came here for higher education, I am aware of the suffering that those who are currently hearing racist rhetoric are likely going through. On the campaign trail, I have reached out to them as their ally, to pushback, and to make sure that we have a fair system. It ought to be fair not just to the citizens but also to those who work here. That is equally crucial for businesses and the American economic ecosystem.
I want to mention that one of the bills I worked very hard on, which was passed into law in Virginia with bipartisan support, is the Foreign Medical Graduates Bill. A medical graduate from any country, for example an MBBS graduate from India with five years of experience, can take the US Medical Licensing Exam ( USMLE ) and, if they consent to work for two years in rural Virginia, can immediately obtain a temporary license. Additionally, they will obtain a permanent license without the requirement of residency if they work for a total of four years.
Q: What are the main points of both your current campaign and your prior electoral campaigns?
A: I am a finance person always looking for good governance policies to help improve quality of life and reduce cost of living. I want to make sure that Virginians have access to high quality education. But if you ask me my top priority, it’s women’s reproductive right to choose, especially given the recent Supreme Court decisions. Number 2 is gun safety; that is a big concern in my district and in the last assembly session, I passed a legislation on this. The third is education – that is what brought us here to the US and investing in education and promoting excellence is important. Both my parents were public school teachers in Chennai and I would like to make sure that our teachers receive top pay; that is important to retain top quality teachers in Loudoun and Virginia. Local issues like reducing cost of living have always been important for me. I have a strong background in private sector and economic growth; bringing new jobs to Virginia and making sure that our tax dollars are spent judiciously are top priority for me.
Q: How crucial do you believe it will be for Democratic elected representatives to work across the aisle with a Republican President and Republican House and Senate majority, given that many of the laws you have passed have received bipartisan support?
A: I am known for a brand of politics that builds consensus that works across the aisle. I am known to be a work horse in the assembly and I passed eight Bills in the last session which were mostly bipartisan. I bring a brand of politics of getting things done; that’s my motto in Richmond and that’s what I’m planning and hoping to bring to the Senate. I want to bring people together and move legislation that benefits all Virginians. I always say that Loudoun is my home and Virginia is my district. So I’m looking for policies that help Virginians across the Commonwealth.
While my plan is to work bipartisan, but it is also important to firmly establish our values and priorities. Northern Virginia is a lot worried about the uncertainty surrounding the incoming new administration in Washington, DC. It is crucial to keep working across the aisle because this worries many of my constituents and community members. Establishing the values of helping each Virginian and making sure that we give people’s health precedence and invest in public education is crucial.
Q: Do Indian Americans make up your campaign team and have a strong support for you?
A: Yes, I had many Indian American interns in my team last year and I have many right now. I have a lot of support from the community on all aspects – from fund raising to door knocking and supporting with friends. These districts are heavy in Asian population and the Indian American community is a big part of the Asian population. They are very supportive when they see someone like me, who came here like them and is literally one of them, get elected. Last year, on the day of my swearing-in on January 20 at the Virginia State Capitol, there was a snowstorm despite which over 100 people from the community came down to Richmond. This is a crucial election; we are working very hard to earn every vote. I am very committed to bring this to the finish line because we have three key constitutional amendments on the line.
Q: Do you have a strong connection to your Indian roots?
A: Absolutely. I was at the Rajdhani temple for the New Year and I’m a regular at every Indian American event that you can think of. For the first time in the history of the Virginia assembly, I got Hindu priest from the Vedic Temple to come and do an invocation. He chanted from the Vedas and the Upanishads and translated the verses into English. Last year, I took my oath both on the Bhagavad Gita and Naalayira Divya Prabandham in Tamil. My wife and me are both from Chennai and ours is the Vaishnavite tradition. My wife wore a saree and I wore the traditional angavastram on top of my coat.
