For the first time ever, an Indian American will run for public office in Staten Island. Rajiv Gowda, president of Community Education Council, District 31, Staten Island, will contest a special election set by New York Governor Elliot Spitzer to fill the vacancy created after Assemblyman John Lavelle died of a stroke on January 24. Gowda will contest for the 61st Assembly District seat in North Shore on March 27.
Gowda, a Democrat, was enthusiastic about the upcoming elections. “I have been involved with the public for a long time now. Many people wanted me to contest the elections. Thus, I decided to declare my candidacy as an opportunity came about. I think I am qualified, with good experience for the position and a proven track record,” he told The Indian Express.
Gowda recently demanded the resignation of Marty Oestreicher, chief executive of the Department of Education’s Office of Education Services and Support, overseeing the Pupil Transportation (School Yellow Bus). His demand came after the yellow bus fiasco in the middle of the winter, and the ensuing confusion and chaos to the parents of New York City public school children. His efforts lead to Oestreicher leaving the office in March.
A resident of Staten Island for almost 20 years, Gowda, who is the project manager for the Department of Infrastructure, hopes to make it to the office and be able to bring about much needed change.
“In case I win, the key issues that I would like to emphasize on would be education, healthcare and transportation. These are some of the most important aspects of people’s lives and we need to address them immediately,” he said. “Only 55 percent of students pass out of schools. Many fail, and the rest drop out. We need to fix this. They are our future and we need a well-educated generation. Also, we need to make education available to everyone. Same is the case with healthcare. It is unaffordable for many and it needs to be addressed. Transportation is another area of worry. Traffic has become horrendous and we need to devise new modes of transportation to wiggle out of the situation.”
Gowda, who is the former joint secretary of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), said he will also focus on the problems faced by the South Asian community.
“Our senior citizens face many problems due to language and cultural barriers, and I would like to do something about it. Many South Asians are unable to assimilate with the mainstream as well,” he said.
Besides Gowda, 11 other candidates are running for the office. They are: Daniel Lavelle, who works for the city Board of Elections; Mark Zink, a public school teacher who worked for Lavelle; Daniel McOlvin, a Community Board 1 member; 2005 Borough President candidate John Luisi; Brooklyn Assistant District Atorney John Castelli; Cindy Lowney, a lawyer; 2006 State Senate candidate Matthew Titone; Rev. Dr John Johnson, a member of Staten Island’s Indpendence Party; 2004 State Senate candidate Kelvin Alexander; Co-founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care Bob Oliveri; and John Minardo.
“It is too early to predict who will win,” Gowda said about the competition.
“Whatever be the outcome, being the first Asian-American to be running for office from Staten Island is an achievement in itself,” he added.
Gowda migrated to the United State from Bangalore in 1987, and has been a resident of State Island since then. He was earlier working as an engineer for the New York City Department of Design and Construction.
