Another Bobby Jindal in the making?

Though a Democrat, Ravi Sangisetty's campaign has one thing in common with the 2003 Congressional campaign of fellow Indian American and current Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal.

In 2003, Jindal, a Republican, ran and won from the 1st District after the incumbent Congressman David Vitter vacated the seat to run for the Senate.

Sangisetty, an attorney, is running from the nearby 3rd District in the surrounding area of New Orleans, as the Democratic incumbent Charlie Melancon is leaving to challenge Senator Vitter in the Senate race.

Sangisetty, though in the opposite party, has good things to say about Jindal. "Governor Jindal is very popular in Louisiana. He's been a leader of our state, as well as the Indian community."

The 3rd district gave a huge majority to Republican candidate Senator John McCain in the last presidential election. So, it is expected to be a tough battle for the Democrats to retain the seat.

"When we began this campaign for the US House of Representatives, we knew that this was going to be a hard-fought campaign from both sides of the aisle," said Sangisetty.

He leads the field with a quarter million in his war chest while his Republican opponents rank far below the mark. "There are several Republicans vying for the nomination, none of whom have established themselves as the clear front runner, and none have raised as much money as I have," he said.

"The campaign is going very well, getting a great response from local folks in the heart of the district," he said.

Sangisetty said he was running a straightforward campaign, focusing on the federal government's bloated spending, unproductive partisan politics, job creation and reforming the US Army Corps of Engineers.

"People are excited for a new generation of leadership in coastal Louisiana, and our fundraising successes so far are clearly showing this," he added.

He said he entered the race with the goal to hold the political process accountable to the people. "The problems we face as a unique region -- whether coastal restoration, hurricane protection, education, health care, or the economy -- are too urgent to allow the current state of politics to continue. My pledge is to raise the level of dialogue above unproductive partisan rhetoric and propose real reforms."

The primary is schedule for August 28. The district has about 638,000 voters. Seventy percent of the population is white, while 24 percent is African American. Asians number about one percent only.

"I am proud to count among my supporters, men and women of various backgrounds and professions, Democrat and Republican. With their help, we have exceeded even my most optimistic fund-raising goals. It is with great pride that I call South Louisiana my home," he said.

Sangisetty at a glance
Ravi Sangisetty grew up in the Terrebonne Parish, which means he understands the concerns of the coastal communities of South Lousiana.
 
After graduating from the Vanderbilt Catholic High School, he earned a degree in political science from Princeton. There he developed a strong devotion to public policy, especially in the area of coastal restoration. He earned his law degree from Louisiana State University.
 
He began his legal career as a judicial clerk of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
 
His work centred on post-Katrina litigation involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency, homeowners insurance policies, and the National Flood Insurance Programme.

His parents, Drs Aruna and Koti Sangisetty, are from Andhra Pradesh and both have a thriving medical practice. He is married to Sarah, a graduate of Tulane Law School. They live in Houma. Sangisetty now works as a business attorney.