POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS: Swati Dandekar By AMELIA MATTHEWS
SANTA MONICA, CA - “ I am running for Congress because I truly understand the promise that the United States offers and I want to make sure that every American is given the same opportunity that I had. I am a living testament that the American dream is alive,” said Swati Dandekar to a group gathered at 41 Ocean here on Dec 7.
Democrat Dandekar is seeking to represent Iowa’s 1st District made up of 20 counties which includes the cities of Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and Marshalltown. This is an open seat as the present incumbent Rep. Bruce Braley is seeking a US Senate seat that retiring incumbent Democrat Tom Harkin will leave open in 2014.
Dandekar, a resident of Marion, Iowa, is determined to keep this seat in Democratic hands. Going on, Dandekar explaining why she was running from Iowa said “I love Iowa and I love the US. That is why I made a decision to become a US citizen. We have forgotten that the US and its citizens come first and that we have to do our best for our country. Somewhere down the line our leaders in D.C. are forgetting this. This bothers me. I want the US to be a superpower for my kids and my grandkids.
SANTA MONICA, CA - “ I am running for Congress because I truly understand the promise that the United States offers and I want to make sure that every American is given the same opportunity that I had. I am a living testament that the American dream is alive,” said Swati Dandekar to a group gathered at 41 Ocean here on Dec 7.
Democrat Dandekar is seeking to represent Iowa’s 1st District made up of 20 counties which includes the cities of Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and Marshalltown. This is an open seat as the present incumbent Rep. Bruce Braley is seeking a US Senate seat that retiring incumbent Democrat Tom Harkin will leave open in 2014.
Dandekar, a resident of Marion, Iowa, is determined to keep this seat in Democratic hands. Going on, Dandekar explaining why she was running from Iowa said “I love Iowa and I love the US. That is why I made a decision to become a US citizen. We have forgotten that the US and its citizens come first and that we have to do our best for our country. Somewhere down the line our leaders in D.C. are forgetting this. This bothers me. I want the US to be a superpower for my kids and my grandkids.
We are not Democrats or Republicans but Americans! I want to assure you that the American dream is still alive.”She went on with her personal story revealing that when she and her husband Arvind Dandekar, who was also present at the event, arrived in the US, all they had was a sound education. They worked hard and tirelessly to become what they are today. “We achieved our American dream and this is what we want to pass on to every child in America,” she underscored.
Dandekar was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2002. She served the Marion, Iowa area in that capacity until she was elected to represent them in the Iowa Senate in 2009. She was the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, vice chair of the Economic Development Budget subcommittee, and was elected President of the National Foundation of Women Legislators in 2011. Later in 2011 she was appointed as the Democratic member of the Iowa Utilities Board. Until her resignation from the Board she was a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and served on the NARUC Committee on Telecommunications and the Committee on International Relations.
Laying down her agenda Dandekar said a great education for every child equipping them to compete in a hi-tech global economy, was her top priority. “America wrote the book that Japan, Korea, China took a page from. We should never forget that is was America that wrote the book,” she emphasized.
Dandekar envisioned the next economic engine as a combination of hi-tech and energy. What was needed to achieve this goal was“ broadband no matter where you are.” Lauding the immense contribution of small and mid-size businesses, she assured she would do all to give them a boost as “they make us what we are.”
Touching on the now infamous Affordable Health Care Act , Dandekar said she would work across party lines to bring about ‘small’ and ‘big’ tweaks to it. Her track record she said , revealed that she has put good public policy above politics in public positions she has held in the past.
In general her approach will be ‘Not my way or the highway but ‘OUR’ way.’
Dandekar thanked all her supporters in California who had helped with the event, Ria Banerjee, Ravi and Vandana Tilak and Scott Carter. She also introduced Democrat Amar Kaleka running for Congress from Wisconsin’s 1st District who was present at the event, who will be challenging the district’s current Representative Republican Paul Ryan.
For contributions online: www.swatidandekarforcongress.com
Dandekar was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2002. She served the Marion, Iowa area in that capacity until she was elected to represent them in the Iowa Senate in 2009. She was the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, vice chair of the Economic Development Budget subcommittee, and was elected President of the National Foundation of Women Legislators in 2011. Later in 2011 she was appointed as the Democratic member of the Iowa Utilities Board. Until her resignation from the Board she was a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and served on the NARUC Committee on Telecommunications and the Committee on International Relations.
Laying down her agenda Dandekar said a great education for every child equipping them to compete in a hi-tech global economy, was her top priority. “America wrote the book that Japan, Korea, China took a page from. We should never forget that is was America that wrote the book,” she emphasized.
Dandekar envisioned the next economic engine as a combination of hi-tech and energy. What was needed to achieve this goal was“ broadband no matter where you are.” Lauding the immense contribution of small and mid-size businesses, she assured she would do all to give them a boost as “they make us what we are.”
Touching on the now infamous Affordable Health Care Act , Dandekar said she would work across party lines to bring about ‘small’ and ‘big’ tweaks to it. Her track record she said , revealed that she has put good public policy above politics in public positions she has held in the past.
In general her approach will be ‘Not my way or the highway but ‘OUR’ way.’
Dandekar thanked all her supporters in California who had helped with the event, Ria Banerjee, Ravi and Vandana Tilak and Scott Carter. She also introduced Democrat Amar Kaleka running for Congress from Wisconsin’s 1st District who was present at the event, who will be challenging the district’s current Representative Republican Paul Ryan.
For contributions online: www.swatidandekarforcongress.com
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