Indian-American Gen Z candidate shakes up Georgia politics, outraises incumbent 22 times

Ashwin Ramaswami. File Photo

Ashwin Ramaswami, the first Gen Z Indian-American running for a US State legislature, has raised over USD 280,000, which is considered to be a substantial figure at the state level.

Ramaswami, 24, has outraised his incumbent opponent Shawn Still by 22 times in the latest filing period from Feb 1 to April 30. While Ramaswami raised over USD 146,000, his opponent raised only USD 6,400. The two are running for the State Senate in the District 48 of Georgia.

According to the latest public campaign finance report, Ramaswami has raised a total of over USD 280,000 and has USD 208,000 cash on hand, his campaign said.

Our latest reports are further evidence that our community values honesty and integrity in our leadership above all, said Ramaswami, a second-generation Indian-American who has built a career in software engineering, election security, and technology law and policy research.

We’ve built a grassroots campaign with unprecedented momentum to ensure we elect a leader who will serve our communities first and foremost: funding our schools, supporting our small businesses, preparing us for the technology of the future, and protecting the right to vote, he said.

Our community will never forget Shawn Still’s utter lack of leadership and integrity when he tried to overturn Georgians’ votes in 2020, said Ramaswami.

Experience matters significantly, and it’s clear that Shawn Still has the wrong kind of experience, he said.

The young Indian-American’s campaign has also been endorsed by Congresswoman Lucy McBath of Georgia’s seventh Congressional district.

I am endorsing Ashwin Ramaswami’s historic bid for District 48 because he has the vision and experience to fight for Georgians in the state legislature. This seat is the most competitive in the Georgia Senate, making it the top pickup opportunity for Georgia Democrats, said Congresswoman McBath.

Ashwin’s opponent, Senator Shawn Still, is currently facing a seven-count indictment for his role as secretary of the false elector meeting of conspiracy theorists to overturn the results of the 2020 election for Donald Trump. The people of SD 48 want a leader, not a conspiracy theorist facing indictment. Ashwin will always work to protect our democracy, she said.

A native of Georgia, Ramaswami has worked with nonprofits, startups, and small businesses to use technology for public interest and create jobs. As a civil servant, he worked at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on cybersecurity and election security, working with state and local election offices to secure the 2020 and 2022 elections. Ashwin also worked as a legal fellow in the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.

His parents worked in the IT sector after coming to the US.