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Arvind Venkat to seek Republican votes, retain Democratic nomination
The move follows the disqualification of his filed Republican opponent from the ballot
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Pranavi Sharma - Tue, 07, Apr 2026
- 02:47 EDT
- 14
Arvind Venkat / X
Pennsylvania State Representative Arvind Venkat announced he will campaign as a write-in candidate in the Republican primary while also accepting the Democratic nomination for his State House seat on May 19.
Venkat shared the decision in a public statement, saying he would “actively campaign to be written in on the Republican ballot” while remaining the Democratic nominee through the separate primary held the same day.
The move follows the disqualification of his filed Republican opponent from the ballot, which Venkat said was announced two weeks earlier. In the absence of a Republican candidate, he said he had been considering how to unify the community and address ongoing challenges. A Commonwealth Court had ruled that his primary challenger, Ehab Akkary, is ineligible to contest the election.
ALSO READ: Pennsylvania court rules Arvind Venkat’s rival ineligible
Today, I am announcing that I will actively campaign to be written in on the Republican primary ballot on 5/19 for our State House seat while simultaneously accepting my nomination as our Democratic nominee for the State House through the separate Democratic primary that day. pic.twitter.com/yDij3LSTWM
— Arvind Venkat, MD (@VenkatforPA) April 6, 2026
“We are at a critical juncture for our community, Pennsylvania, and our nation,” Venkat said, pointing to economic pressures, health insurance losses, and uncertainty tied to the expansion of artificial intelligence.
He said more than 120,000 Pennsylvanians and millions nationwide have lost health insurance, and described broader concerns about rising costs and global instability.
Venkat said his decision to run in both primaries is aimed at building broader support across party lines. “With no filed Republican candidate and in this critical moment, I will seek the support of Republicans to unite our community and focus our energy on moving us forward together,” he said.
He acknowledged the challenge of appealing to voters across political divides. “This will not be easy,” Venkat said. “Our tribal politics mean that seeking common ground is difficult.”
At the same time, he emphasized that his core positions remain unchanged. “I am not in any way diluting the values I hold dear and for which I have campaigned,” he said.
ALSO READ: Rep. Venkat makes geothermal push in Pennsylvania
Venkat also outlined policy areas he has supported or proposed, including expanding health insurance coverage, regulating artificial intelligence in healthcare, integrating additional energy sources into the power grid, and funding schools and first responders.
Other priorities include tax cuts for seniors, families, small businesses, and low-income residents, as well as measures to protect homeowners and require data center developers to bear construction and operational costs while complying with local zoning standards.
He also called for welcoming more immigrants to Pennsylvania and urged Congress to exercise its constitutional responsibilities regarding war and peace.
“In this moment, I believe we must reach out to all people of goodwill and not simply fall into our partisan silos,” Venkat said.
The primary election is scheduled for May 19.
Venkat was born in Madurai and migrated to the United States as a child. He is an alumni of Harvard and Yale universities and had a long career in emergency medicine as a physician, before joining politics.
Venkat, the first Indian American in the Pennsylvania State House, is the only physician and the only immigrant/naturalized citizen currently holding state or federal elected office in Pennsylvania.
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