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Purnima Nath says she's running 'by conviction,' not identity politics
Indian-origin Republican cites immigrant journey in renewed Wisconsin congressional bid.
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Ankita Baidya - Thu, 09, Jul 2026
- 04:47 EDT
- 26
Purnima Nath says her immigrant journey, not political calculation, inspired her run for Congress in Wisconsin. / Courtesy: Instagram/@iampurnimanath
Indian-origin Republican Purnima Nath says she is contesting Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District "by conviction" and not "by chance," describing herself as a Hindu Indian American and a legal immigrant whose immigrant journey, not political calculation, led her to seek public office, according to a recent post on her X account.
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In the post, Nath said her presence in Milwaukee was not the result of a deliberate political calculation but of her life's journey as an immigrant, noting that Milwaukee "was not on my map" when she first arrived in the United States.
She said she has since come to know the city's "struggles, its people, and its potential" and has made it her own "through my presence, my labour, and my commitment to its future," according to the post.
Nath rejected suggestions that she was a "carpetbagger seeking power elsewhere," saying she chose to run in the district because it is her home. "I didn't arrive here as a career politician plotting a path to power. I arrived here because this is where life brought me. THIS IS MY HOME," she wrote.
She also addressed the district's demographics, saying she does not view the community "through the lens of identity-based division."
Instead, Nath described herself as an independent thinker committed to governance and accountability "regardless of skin colour, ethnicity, race, religion, or country of origin."
Nath added that being a recent immigrant does not make her "less American" or a "second-class citizen."
She said she came to the United States "with a degree, with a job, and with a desire for professional experience," and that staying in the country and building a life there "was my choice every step of the way."
Nath is seeking to represent Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore, who has held the seat since 2005.
She previously ran for the same seat in 2024, losing the Republican primary to Tim Rogers, who later lost the general election to Moore, the election reference website reported.
Federal Election Commission records show Nath filed to run again for the 2026 election cycle through her campaign committee, "Allies of Purnima Nath," which has submitted campaign finance filings beginning in 2025.
Earlier this year, the Republican Party of Milwaukee County terminated Nath's membership, citing a misalignment of values, as previously reported by New India Abroad.
Nath said the move was an attempt to silence her independent voice within the party, stating on X, "Disagreement is not disloyalty. Independent thinking is not extremism."
She said her "offence" was refusing "blind allegiance to any cult and propaganda machine," adding that she questions policies, demands accountability, and serves "people over propaganda," according to the report.
Originally from India, Nath holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She has worked as an engineer, strategy and management consultant, and nonprofit founder.
She has also served as secretary of the Republican Party of Milwaukee County and as an alternate delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention.
The general election for Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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