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Ankit Jain wins Democratic nomination for D.C. Shadow Senator
If elected, Jain will create history as the first Asian and Indian-American elected official in D.C. history.
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Democratic nominee for D.C. Shadow Senator, Ankit Jain, pledges to advocate for statehood and democratic rights. / Image - X/ ankitjaindc
Indian- American voting rights attorney, Ankit Jain, has won the Democratic nomination for D.C. Shadow Senator. According to AP which called the race, Jain received 53.7 percent of the votes while his competitor Eugene Kinlow trailed with 46.3 percent of the votes on June 4.
The voters of the District of Columbia elect two shadow U.S. senators who are known as senators by the District of Columbia but are not officially sworn in or seated by the U.S. Senate. Their primary responsibility is to lobby for the interests of DC residents and push for statehood.
"I'm so honored to say we have won the Democratic nomination for D.C. Shadow Senator. Thank you to everyone who has put their faith in me—I will work as hard as I can to reward your trust,” Jain said in his victory statement.
Jain also extended his appreciation to his opponent, Eugene Kinlow, for his decades of advocacy for D.C. statehood. "Eugene ran a formidable campaign, and I want to express my deepest appreciation for his commitment to the people of D.C.," he said.
Jain also reiterated his commitment and called on residents to remain engaged and active in the fight for statehood. "Our fight has just begun. D.C. has never been closer to statehood, but we also have never been more at risk of losing what democratic rights we do have. This is a crucial time for democracy in our city. And we need people to get involved."
Jain’s campaign focused on bringing a new perspective to the position and ending patronage politics. He plans to work closely with the Mayor, the D.C. Council, and other statehood advocates to achieve these goals.
Notably, his top priority as Shadow Senator is achieving statehood for D.C., ensuring over 700,000 residents gain voting rights. He plans to work with Republicans to address the injustice of the current situation and will collaborate with pro-democracy groups to include statehood in major legislative efforts.
As per his campaign, he will work to secure proper federal funding for D.C. priorities and eliminate budget restrictions on local funding for abortions and marijuana legalization. He seeks federal support for WMATA and major Metro projects like the Blue Line Loop or Silver Line Express.
Addressing the crime spike, Jain will push for federal gun laws to mitigate gun violence in D.C. He believes local issues, such as building height restrictions, should be managed by the D.C. Council, advocating for better representation of minority communities in the D.C. legislature through potential constitutional changes after achieving statehood.
Born to Indian immigrants, Jain shared the personal story of his parents' struggle to obtain his father's Green Card, drawing a parallel to his own fight for voting rights. "Very few elected officials in this city have family histories like that, and I am excited to bring representation to the immigrant, Asian, and Indian communities if elected in November as the first Asian-American citywide elected official in D.C. history."
Jain has a history of advocacy, working previously with the Sierra Club and currently with FairVote. He has been active in D.C.'s statehood movement, participating in rallies and serving on various committees to improve local democracy.
With a law degree from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago, Jain’s background includes significant involvement in advocacy and legal work, including organizing the NYC March for Our Lives for stronger gun laws.
As the Democratic nominee, Ankit is now poised for the general election in November, where he hopes to make history and continue his fight for D.C. statehood.
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