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Author: Punam Kaji

Mike Siegel is a civil rights lawyer and former public school teacher running for Congress in Texas’ 10th Congressional District, which stretches from Houston to Austin.  Mike discusses why he is running again and how he plans to win this time, the importance of relational organizing, the issues his voters are talking about, and the importance of South Asian voters. Learn about him on his website. WiseUp TX is a non-partisan nonprofit and does not endorse...

In this interview, Representative Gary Gates (District 28) talks about how he won his special election runoff in January 2020, and his plans for the district as the Representative if he wins again this November.  Gates discusses the impacts of Covid-19 and why he thinks his business experience makes him suited to bring Texans out of it. To learn more about him, visit his website. WiseUp TX is a non-partisan nonprofit and does not support any...

Eliz Markowitz is running for Texas State Representative in District 28 (Suburbs of Houston).  In this interview, she talks about the special election earlier this year that gave her campaign an early start, and why she expects to win this time against the same candidate who won the special election. She says she noticed how her suburban district was changing, but leadership stayed the same.  That need for change sparked her moral obligation to run...

Sharon Hirsch is running for Texas State Representative for House District 66, which includes West Plano and far North Dallas. She discusses how after losing by just 391 votes in 2018, she decided to run again in 2020 on a platform of public education, expanding Medicaid access in Texas, gun safety, and ensuring fair maps when it comes to redistricting. Learn more about her on her website. WiseUp TX is non-partisan and does not endorse any...

Sadaf Haq is running for City Council in Frisco (a suburb of Dallas).  She talks about the leadership positions she has held with various boards before deciding to run for office and add representation to the City Council.  In this interview she talks about paving the way for other South Asians and the diverse coalition of supporters who inspire her to run for office. You can learn more about her on her website.    

Lydia Bean is running for Texas State Representative (House District 93) as the Democratic Candidate.  This district includes parts of Arlington, “Mid Cities, and North Fort Worth, stretching through much of Tarrant County.  Lydia says her South Asian voters want what her other constituents are looking for too – well-funded public education, access to healthcare, and civility in politics. She talks about how coming from a family of faith shaped her aspirations to work in...

  Pooja Sethi is running for City Council in Austin, Texas (District 10). She shares how her South Asian identity influences her campaign – if she wins, she will be the first South Asian American to serve on Austin’s City Council. Her work as an immigration lawyer taking on pro bono cases for domestic violence survivors motivated her to become a local leader. She has served the City on various Task Forces and decided to...

    Karthik Soora and Hena Rafiq are two of the co-founders of the They See Blue Texas Chapter. They See Blue is a National organization mobilizing South Asian Americans to help Democrats win races. Hear more about how their organization engages the South Asian community. With less than three months until the election, and amidst a pandemic, they are motivating South Asian Texans to vote for Democrats, and that Texas state races matter in...

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