The first Tibetan origin to ever contest for the US Congress has won the Democratic primary for the first congressional district of Ohio and is all contest against the gigantic task of defeating a 11-time Republican Congressman. Aftab Karma Singh Pureval, an American of Indian-Tibetan descent has become the first Tibetan origin ever to run for the crucial political position in the United States.
Aftab Karma Singh Pureval announced on January 31 that he will be running for the US Congress in Ohio’s first Congressional district throwing a serious challenge to Republican Steve Chabot. The Democrats bet that Pureval is Democrat’s strongest candidate to race the tough challenge against the Republicans.
Aftab Karma Singh Pureval is a 35 year old Indo-Tibetan whose father is an Indian and mother, a Tibetan immigrant who relocated to the US from India. Aftab was born and raised in Southwest Ohio and a product of public schools, who went to The Ohio State University for college where he has been the student body president.
“I am the first Tibetan-American to run for Congress,” Pureval said. “My story is improbably American. I am the son of a refugee. My mother was born in Tibet and she was forced to flee her home country along with my grandparents.” His grandparents and his mother made their way through the Himalayas to Nepal and entered India where she grew up as a refugee according to the report in PTI.
Pureval received a bachelor’s degree in political science from The Ohio State University in 2005 and the American Tibetan was elected to the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts in 2016, unseating Republican incumbent Tracy Winkler and becoming the first Democratic clerk in more than 100 years.
“They (Tibetan community) are very excited. I am connected with a lot of the community in all parts of the country through the social media. They are thrilled to see a Tibetan-American run for the US Congress. It is driving a lot of energy and they have been incredibly supporting of my efforts,” Pureval added according to the report.
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