Democrats to honour NRI

Twenty-seven-year-old Indian American lawmaker Jay Goyal has won the Ohio Young Democrat of the Year award.

A 27-year-old Indian American lawmaker has won the Ohio Young Democrat of the Year award.

Jay Goyal, Democrat lawmaker of Ohio, won the award last week at a glittering party function attended by top party officials.

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"Jay is a great role model for Ohio's young people," said Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. "I hope others look up to him as an example of how far a person's commitment and dedication can take them. We need them to follow in his footsteps."

Goyal is currently the youngest member of the Ohio General Assembly. He was County Director for John Kerry for his presidential campaign in 2004, and in 2005, he got the Richland County Democrat of the Year award, News India Times, an ethnic newspaper reported.

"The party's recognition of my commitment and desire to serve the constituents of the Richland County and address critical issues such as jobs and education is very gratifying," Goyal said.

Goyal was born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio, and graduated from Lexington High School where he was elected the class president for four years. His father, Prakash, is the founder and president of Goyal Industries. His mother, Kiran, is an investment advisor with KeyBank and McDonald's Investments. His sister, Anjali, lives in New York and works at a non-profit body that promotes Asian-American literature.