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Indian American mayor of Hoboken announces Congress run
Ravinder Bhalla, the Indian American mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, recently announced his run for Congress in NJ’s 8th Congressional District.
Ravi Bhalla is running for Congress from New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District / Twitter/@RaviBhalla
“My name is Ravi Bhalla and I am running for Congress against Robert Menendez Jr. in the Democratic primary,” he wrote in a post on X. Bhalla also shared a video, explaining why the people of Jersey deserve leaders they can put their faith in.
If elected, Bhalla will continue his service to the community, will be an advocate for NJ’s working families, and continue the fight to make healthcare accessible for everyone. He will also tackle climate change, protect reproductive rights, and build an economy that helps all New Jerseyans to grow.
“This is a story about a Jersey kid who grew up, not looking like all the other Jersey kids. My parents came here from India to work hard and honestly, with only the promise of opportunity, and to practice our Sikh faith in a country where it is self-evident that all of us are created equal,” Bhalla said in the video.
Bhalla was elected 39th mayor of Hoboken in 2017, and re-elected in 2021. “My first act as mayor was to declare Hoboken a welcome city for all,” he said in the video. “As mayor, I tackle this problem head-on. Now I am running from Congress because I believe that America is better than the demagogues who seek to divide us or the politicians who strive only to serve themselves,” he said.
Born in New Jersey to Indian immigrants, who came to the U.S. with not a lot of money to their name, Bhalla emphasized that he will work dedicatedly to ensure immigrants have a bright future in the United States.
“I believe the America my parents came to with US $7 to their names and dreams that anything was possible. Where an immigrant story is an American story and where this Jersey kid can be proud to raise some Jersey kids of his own,” he said in the campaign video.
Bhalla became the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken in 2018. His campaign experienced several hiccups back then, including being labeled “terrorist” in slanderous flyers. In October, 2023, he spoke about receiving death threats in case he did not resign from his position. Bhalla said he also received a letter that threatened his life along with his family’s. "My biggest concern was for my kids. I signed up to be mayor, but my kids didn't sign up to this type of behavior," he said at the time.
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