Indian-American Democrat Ashwin Ramaswami endorses Kamala Harris as presidential nominee

Washington: Indian-American Democrat Ashwin Ramaswami, the first Indian-American from Gen Z to run for a state or federal legislature in the US, has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's presidential nominee, saying it "would be a major step forward for Indian-American and AAPI representation in this country".

The remarks by Ramaswami, a candidate for Georgia State Senate in District 48, came after Biden on Sunday abruptly ended his re-election bid amid widespread concerns about the viability of his candidacy and endorsed Harris, who is of both Indian and African origin, as the Democratic Party's new nominee.

"Vice President Harris would make history as the first Indian American President of the United States," said Ramaswami whose parents immigrated to the US from Tamil Nadu in 1990. Generation Z (also known as Zoomers) encompasses those born between 1997 and 2012.

"This would be a major step forward for Indian-American and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) representation in this country and is an inspiration to young people such as me. And just like Kamala Harris’s mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, my mother is from Besant Nagar, Chennai, which makes this incredibly special for me," he said.

Generation Z (also known as Zoomers) encompasses those born between 1997 and 2012.

Ramaswami said he was grateful for President Biden’s leadership and wholeheartedly followed his lead in supporting Kamala Harris for the next Democrat nominee.

"Let’s recommit ourselves to winning this November. All Americans must unite to build an economy that works for all, protect abortion rights, make investments for the future generation, and defeat Donald Trump and MAGA extremism once and for all," he added.

Biden's decision to nominate Harris (59), who has been serving as the US' first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president since 2021, follows weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats after his disastrous presidential debate performance against his Republican rival and former US president Donald Trump last month.