Democrat-turned-Republican Ashok Baddi Running For Michigan House

DETROIT, MI – Ashok Baddi has announced his bid for District 56 of the Michigan House of Representatives, saying he is running to bring what he calls practical, people-first leadership to a diverse suburban district north of Detroit.

Baddi, a Democrat-turned-Republican, said his decision was rooted in local ties. “I’ve been a resident of Troy for over a decade now. I’ve been working in the community, trying to help our community in various ways,” he said.

He noted that “almost 25 per cent of the population is of Indian origin,” with about 12,000 voters overall. “That is a very sizable number that can actually make or break an election,” he said.

Baddi said his motivation to seek office came from a belief that change requires political engagement. “It is only through political will that we can actually make change happen,” he said. “Once we are here, we are an American, as American as anybody else.”

Baddi said he was previously active in the Democratic Party, serving as “a core team member for several fundraisers for the governor of Michigan” and helping campaigns “right from council elections to school boards.”

Explaining his break from the Democrats, Baddi said his “core value system” aligns more closely with Republicans. He cited views on gender and school sports, saying, “I personally believe that there are two clear genders,” while also saying a third gender “should have a right to live with all freedom.”

An immigrant from Hyderabad, Baddi came to the United States in 2005 with his wife, a pediatric nephrologist. He described years spent in rural America, living near farms in Georgia and Missouri. “We practically lived in about a 400-acre farmland,” he said, before moving to Michigan.

Baddi said he is challenging Democratic incumbent Sharon McDonald, whom he previously supported. “I feel she has not delivered much to the community,” he said, citing roads and education policy.(IANS)