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US mid-term elections: Jyot Singh makes history as first Sikh elected to Georgia assembly
The 27-year-old Democrat defeated Republican Yassin Moghazy in the November 3 election to win the Georgia House of Representatives seat from District 97
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Jyot Singh, a Yale-educated community organiser, has scripted history in the US mid-term elections by becoming the first Sikh and Indian-American to be elected to the Georgia assembly.
The 27-year-old Democrat defeated Republican Yassin Moghazy in the November 3 election to win the Georgia House of Representatives seat from District 97.
The Yale graduate, son of Sikh immigrants from India, secured 13,820 votes, winning the ballot with 68% votes, compared to 32% polled by Moghazy, who got 6,509 votes.
The District 97 constituency covers parts of Duluth, Peachtree Corners and Norcross, alongside Berkeley Lake in Gwinnett County, a diverse community with a substantial immigrant population.
“We made history for our community here in House District 97,” Singh said in a video posted on X after his election victory.
In his vision statement ahead of the polls, Singh had said, “Growing up in Norcross, Georgia, I learned that our diversity isn’t just a number, it’s our strength. It’s the intricate fabric of Gwinnett, a complex and colourful design where every stitch matters...But I also know that for a tapestry to stay strong, every thread must be secure. I’ve seen the gaps where families fall through, where healthcare is a luxury and housing costs threaten the very roots people have worked so hard to plant.”
He said his collective mission was to protect the excellence they had built while ensuring that everyone had the opportunity to bloom.
Singh had defeated Jacques Laurent in the Democratic primary for District 97 in May this year.
