Red District Goes Blue In PA, Arvind Venkat Wins

India-West News Desk

HARRISBURG, PA – In a  state House where Republicans hold a strong majority, Democrats now have an Indian American – Dr. Arvind Venkat. He has flipped a reliably GOP seat.

“Thank you to the voters of House District 30 — McCandless, Franklin Park, Ohio Twp, Kilbuck, Emsworth, Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, and Western Hampton Twp. I’m honored to be elected to serve as your State Representative,” tweeted the ER doctor turned politician who ran on a platform of education, environment, and public safety.

In many firsts, he becomes the first Indian American ever in the Pennsylvania House. He is also the first doctor since the 1960s in the state House and the first Democrat to flip a Republican seat since 2006 in western Pennsylvania.

“@VenkatforPA  will be the first doctor since the 1960s and the first Democrat to flip a GOP seat since 2006 in Western Pennsylvania,” tweeted Neil Makhija, Executive Director of Indian American Impact

Venkat completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Harvard University, his medical school training at Yale University School of Medicine, and his emergency medicine residency training at the University of Cincinnati. He is married to Veena and the couple have three children.