Ravinder Bhalla was called terrorist by his opponent during the election mayoral campaign in the New Jersey city of Hoboken
News East West
NEW YORK: An Indian American Sikh mayoral candidate, who was called a terrorist by his opponents during the campaign, has become the mayor of Hoboken city in New Jersey state.
Ravinder Bhalla trounced all his five opponents to become the first Sikh mayor of the city of over 50,000 people. He has served on the city council for more than seven years.
He was backed by the outgoing mayor Dawn Zimmer who decided not to seek a third term in office.
Just days before the mayoral elections, posters appeared in the city, saying, “Don’t let TERRORISM take over our Town!”
Thank you Hoboken. I look forward to being your Mayor! #TeamBhalla #FinishedStrong pic.twitter.com/UKPuXkDWGX
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) November 8, 2017
Ravinder Bhalla thanked voters for his victory.
“Thank you for having faith in me, for having faith in our community, faith in our state, and faith in our country; this is what America is all about. We’ve been through a bruising campaign… but now is the time we come together and see who we can work with to bring this city forward,’’ he said in post-victory speech.
Only a handful of Sikhs have served mayors in the US. Sikhs have been coming the US since the last decades of the 19th century, with Yuba City in California becoming their first major settlement.
