Shillong, August 9: Rejani Raveendran, an India-born college student, has entered the race for the US Senate in Wisconsin, becoming the inaugural Republican contender against Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin.
Raveendran, who chairs the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College Republicans, officially launched her candidacy against Baldwin in Portage County. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that this announcement comes with just under a year remaining until the primary elections.
As per IANS, despite having never previously held political office in the state, Raveendran, a mother of three, decided to run for the Senate after her recent visit to Washington earlier this summer. Expressing her motivation, she stated, “I see what’s going on in our country. I realized how much D.C. is dominated by these polished politicians. I realized there is a need for a change in our political system. We need new faces with new ideas.”
This year, Raveendran joined the Stevens Point College Republicans and is on track to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science along with a certificate in international relations next year.
“I am not a politician, and I do not want to be a politician,” emphasized Raveendran, who immigrated to the US from India in 2011, where she worked as a nurse and midwife. She became a US citizen in 2015 and subsequently moved to Wisconsin in 2017.
Raveendran’s campaign will prioritize border security, tackling illicit drugs like fentanyl, addressing illegal immigration, and championing “medical freedom,” suggesting her opposition to vaccine mandates. She voiced concerns about potential adverse reactions to the coronavirus vaccine and expressed her commitment to “fighting against the woke agenda to preserve the innocence of our children.”
In terms of political alignment, Raveendran revealed her support for former President Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections and reaffirmed her backing for his candidacy in 2024.