New York City Council aspirant Ashok Chandra won the District 4 GOP primary last week, the only Indian American to win on September 20, which marked primaries for both the Democrats and Republicans. The 4th District encompasses parts of lower Manhattan where the former World Trade Center (WTC) site is located. Chandra, 30, a native Texan and member of the New York Young Republican Club, beat the Manhattan Republican Party's candidate, Neal D'Alessio, 477 to 239 votes.

Chandra, however, would be a rank outsider with little chance going into the November elections, where he will face off against the hugely popular incumbent Council Member Dan Garodnick, in a constituency which has a proven Democrat leaning.

Ashok Chandra

"My campaign has brought a lot of people out of the woodwork; young Republicans who in the past haven't been Republicans. They're very conservative about fiscal issues," Chandra said in an interview to the West Side Spirit before the primary.

Chandra was born in Weslaco, TX, in 1979, a year after his parents left New York City. His parents left New York in 1978, being pushed out because of high taxation, minimal entrepreneurial opportunities and high crime. They settled in Texas where crime rates and taxes were low and subsequently developed a flourishing business, according to his website (www.chandrafomewyork.com).

Chandra left for Austin, TX in 1997, to attend the University of Texas where he majored in Biochemistry and English. He moved to New York City in 2003 to attend Fordham University's School of Law. At Fordham, he was elected Managing Editor of the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal.

After graduation, he practiced law, specializing in Patent and Telecommunications Law before leaving in June of 2008 to work for Bloomberg LLP. At Bloomberg, he works on developing new products. Growing up, Chandra says he always wanted to move to New York City and be part of "the city that never sleeps" and compete in what his father always referred to as "the most competitive place on Earth."

After his moving to New York City, his parents came to visit and were astonished by the turnaround the city underwent since the dark days of 1978. Chandra says he wants to help ensure that the promise of New York City is alive and well for generations to come. He lives in Midtown East with his wife and young daughter.

Chandra ran on several issues, which he delineates as:

• Promote small business: "It is unconscionable that so many empty storefronts are starting to line our streets. To incentivize small business owners, the backbone of our economy, to stay, I propose cutting the unincorporated business tax and cutting the 'red tape' associated with small business development."

• Expand charter schools: "Of the many fine New York City public schools, the City's charter schools are the most successful. These independent public schools are providing children and their parents with a greater degree of educational choice, at a lower cost than traditional public schools. I will work to expand the number of these schools so that every child, from every background, will have the opportunity to receive an excellent education at minimal taxpayer expense."

• Reform city government: "New York City's public employee pension system will bankrupt the City over the next few decades. While experts on all sides agree to this fact, special interests have been able to block reform. I will fight for reform by creating a new pension tier for new public hires, saving billions over the next decade, ensuring that NYC's fiscal footing is solid for generations to come."

• Fiscal responsibility: "In these trying economic times, government, like our own households, must 'do more with less.' Yet, the N.Y. City Council has spent us into a multi-billion dollar deficit that will last for many years to come. To ensure this never happens again, I will propose tying future increases in the City's budget to the rate of inflation, ensuring that the government lives within taxpayers' means."