In NY’s Congressional Race, Indian American Suraj Patel Gets Andrew Yang’s  Endorsement  

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – Former New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang has endorsed Suraj Patel in the city’s Democratic Congressional primary race which also features well-known candidates Reps Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney. The race is for the newly drawn 12th Congressional District.

Yang, who ran for President, said he was throwing his weight behind Patel because he’s “young, tech-savvy, understands the future, has many policy ideas, and is also the son of immigrants, has run a business, and has been an activist for years.”

The district previously spanned three boroughs, including parts of Brooklyn and Queens. In the redrawing, Patel’s home was cut out of the district but incorporated later.

Patel, 40, has run against Maloney twice. In 2020, he lost by 4 points, performing really well in the liberal areas of Brooklyn and Queens, which has now been shrunk in the new district. District 12, according to Census Reporter is now 62 percent white.

Patel, a former Obama staffer, has a B.A. in political science from Stanford University, J.D. from the New York University School of Law and a Masters in Philosophy from Cambridge University.

He is the president of the Sun Group of Companies, a real estate and investment firm specializing in hospitality. He is also an adviser to political campaigns and technology startups.