By Several Indian Americans began their terms in the local and state offices beginning Jan. 1. In the next few days, several were sworn in. A few of them, like Ohio State Sen. Niraj Antani, New York State Sens. Jeremy Cooney and Kevin Thomas, shared photos on their social media handles.
“Truly honored to have been officially sworn-in as State Senator today,” Antani, a Republican, wrote in a Facebook post. Antani, 29, who was elected to the Ohio state Senate from the 6th District, was sworn-in on Jan. 4. “As I became the first Indian-American State Senator in Ohio history today, I vow to work hard every day so each Ohioan can achieve their American Dream. So grateful to be able to represent the community in which I was born and raised. To all my voters, supporters, and team: thank you,” he wrote. Antani formerly served as State Representative for the 42nd Ohio House District since 2014. He was the youngest serving member of the Ohio State House of Representatives.
In New York, State Sen. Kevin Thomas was sworn-in to his second term on Jan. 5, by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran outside the The Veterans Memorial at Eisenhower Park. “We’ve been partners in government since I took office, and I’m proud to continue working alongside her to serve the residents of Nassau County,” Thomas wrote in a Facebook post. “Thank you to the voters of the 6th Senate district for your trust in re-electing me.”
Meanwhile in Upstate New York, newly-elected State Sen. Jeremy Cooney took his oath of office on Jan. 4. “Being sworn into the New York State Senate this morning (by my beautiful wife, Diane!) was one of the greatest honors in my life,” Cooney’s Facebook post said. “We made history as the first Asian ever elected to state office from upstate. While I am a proud son of Rochester, I was born in Kolkata, India, and adopted by an American mother as a child. Today, standing beside me, is a Chinese family that came to New York seeking the American Dream. Our collective journey is a reminder that we live in a nation of opportunity.”
As I begin my first week as the first South Asian-American Assemblywoman in New York, I am proud of the ceilings our community continues to smash.” – Jenifer Rajkumar
Read the rest @ https://americankahani.com/community/young-indian-americans-take-oath-of-office-as-state-legislators-senators/
