Sanjyot Dunung Launches “Made In America” IL Congressional Bid
India-West Staff Reporter
DES PLAINES, IL – Sanjyot Dunung, a Democrat, small business owner, and mother of three, including a son serving in the U.S. military, has officially launched her campaign to represent Illinois’s 8th Congressional District. Framing herself as an alternative to career politicians, Dunung is positioning her candidacy as a call to restore the American Dream through pragmatic leadership, community-rooted values, and forward-thinking economic solutions.
Dunung, who grew up in Des Plaines as the daughter of Indian immigrants, brings a deeply personal understanding of the immigrant journey and the power of opportunity in America. She came to the U.S. at age six, living with family friends until her parents could afford an apartment. Inspired by their work ethic, she began babysitting at age nine and started her own weekend childcare “business” by age ten. That early experience of responsibility and community engagement would become the foundation of a life spent building—companies, jobs, and a family.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Dunung has gone on to become a nationally recognized EdTech entrepreneur and an advocate for small business innovation. She serves on the boards of the Truman Center for National Policy and the American Leadership Project, advocating for sensible global leadership and American economic resilience.
As a single mother and caregiver to both an aging father and a mother with muscular dystrophy, Dunung has lived the challenges that many working families face today. Her platform reflects that lived experience, focusing on kitchen-table issues like affordable healthcare, reproductive freedom, educational investment, homeownership access, and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
“This administration promised to fix the economy,” she said. “Instead, it’s breaking promises and tearing down opportunities. As a mom and a business owner, I understand how fragile the dream of security and opportunity can feel right now. I’m running to protect that dream—for today and for generations to come.”
Dunung’s candidacy is rooted not just in policy, but in story. Her journey—from delivering newspapers in college to leading innovative startups, from raising three sons as a single mother to influencing national trade policy—reflects a uniquely American narrative.
“My life was Made in America. This campaign was Made in America. It could not have happened anywhere else,” Dunung said. “Now, I’m committed to making sure that the same American Dream is alive and well—for everyone.”
