Tuesday, November 15, 2023
BATAVIA- Today, State Senator Niraj Antani (R-6) announced a campaign for Congress in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-2) announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election and will retire from Congress. Sen. Antani is the first Hindu and Indian American State Senator in Ohio history and the youngest Hindu and Indian American state or federal elected official in the United States. Sen. Antani would become the youngest Hindu and Indian American Member of Congress in the nation's history and the 1st Republican Hindu Member of Congress in the country's history.
"As the 1st Hindu and Indian American State Senator in Ohio history, I've worked hard every day to ensure every Ohioan has an opportunity to achieve their American Dream. Now, I am running for Congress to be a warrior for our community's values and fight against those who seek to wreak havoc on us. I will stand steel-spined for the policies that benefit our community and strongly oppose those who kowtow to those against us."
Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District spans 16 counties across about 150 miles in southern Ohio. The district’s partisan voter index leans significantly Republican. The Republican primary in Ohio will take place on March 19, 2024. Sen. Antani thanks Congressman Wenstrup for his many years of dedicated service to our nation, both in Congress and as an American hero serving as a combat surgeon in the Army.
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Born and raised in southern Ohio, Sen. Antani is serving his first term in the Ohio Senate, having previously served three terms as State Representative in the Ohio House of Representatives. He has received numerous awards from organizations for veterans, community college, small businesses, and more. Sen. Antani is a graduate of The Ohio State University.
‘In 1978, my parents immigrated to the United States from India. They did not come with much, but they came pursuing an idea known to every immigrant, to find their American Dream. Settling first in Washington Township, and then buying a home in Miami Township, my father worked for Hewlett-Packard for 35 years. When my father, (Jaimini) passed away in 2010, it was his values of hard work and of fighting for what is right that I sought to carry on. It is my hope that I can carry my parents’ legacy, and and provide every Ohioan with the opportunity to reach their American Dream,’ he said when he was selected to contset as state senator in 2014.
