Indian-American attorney and community activist Neil Makhija is in the running for the post of Commissioner of Montgomery County (Montco), the third largest County in Pennsylvania and home to more than 850,000 residents. The election is scheduled to be held on May 16, 2023.
A prominent Pennsylvania civil rights advocate and election law professor, Makhija if elected could create history as the first Asian-American commissioner of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.
Makhija is currently on leave from serving as the executive director of Impact, the nation’s leading South Asian civic organization, and as a Lecturer in election law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, according to his website.
In 2021, Makhija was among 13 civil rights leaders invited by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to the White House to advise on civil & voting rights. He was named by City & State PA as one of the “40 under 40” most influential people in Pennsylvania politics alongside some of the state’s highest-ranking government leaders.
The Harvard Law School graduate has worked in the White House, and the U.S. Senate, and has played important role in campaigning for several elected representatives. As a community leader, he is passionate about advocating on behalf of underrepresented communities and engaging new citizens in the state and local politics.
