Indian American Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi has been recognized in Chicago Magazine's list of the 50 Most Powerful Chicagoans. Ranked at 24, the Congressman is the highest-ranking South Asian on the list.
Krishnamoorthi was first elected into Congress in 2016 and has since served four terms representing Illinois’ 8th District, which includes Chicago’s west and northwest suburbs as well as the 41st ward of the city terms in office.
He serves as a ranking member of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, making him the first South Asian American in history to lead a Congressional Committee. He also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability as a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.
With $14.4 million in his campaign funds, Rep. Krishnamoorthi surpasses other congressional representatives from Illinois by more than threefold, marking the third-highest total in the entire Congress.
In 2022, Krishnamoorthi contributed $460,000 to Democratic candidates and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. However, reports suggest that he is accumulating his campaign funds in preparation for a potential Senate run in 2026 should Dick Durbin decide to retire.
Krishnamoorthi also serves as a vice-chair of the Equality Caucus and co-chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Immigration Task Force. Additionally, he is the founder and chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic and the bipartisan Solar Caucus.
As a member of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Krishnamoorthi chaired the Audit Committee, contributing to the provision of affordable housing for thousands of low and moderate-income families across the state. Additionally, as Illinois Deputy Treasurer, he oversaw the state's technology venture capital fund and implemented efficiency improvements in programs such as the state's unclaimed property program.
After his tenure in the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, Rep. Krishnamoorthi transitioned back to the private sector, assuming the role of president at research-oriented small businesses focused on technology development in the national security and renewable energy sectors. Additionally, he served as the vice-chair of the Illinois Innovation Council and played a key role in co-founding InSPIRE, a non-profit organization aimed at offering inner-city students and veterans training in solar technology.
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