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Indian Americans growing confident in U.S. public life: NJ Assemblyman Balvir Singh
Singh said a rising number of Indian Americans are running for office, reflecting growing confidence and engagement in U.S. public life, with candidates focused on local priorities rather than a single agenda.
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Ishani Duttagupta - Sun, 14, Dec 2025
- 00:30 EST
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Balvir Singh / Courtesy Photo
Democrat Balvir Singh successfully ran for re-election to the New Jersey General Assembly, securing his seat for District 7 in last month’s general election. Singh—who made history as New Jersey’s first Sikh legislator—is not a newcomer to public life.
Prior to his current role, he served on the Burlington County Board of Commissioners from 2018 to 2025. His tenure on the board began with an oath of office administered by New Jersey’s first Indian American State Senator, Vin Gopal, on January 3, 2018.
“Coming to this country as an immigrant, and choosing to enter public life, comes with a unique set of challenges. I’ve had to break stereotypes, overcome the constant struggle with name recognition, and navigate a political environment that often favours insiders in a party-boss structure. Fundraising and earning trust in communities where few people looked like me was never easy. I also had to balance cultural expectations with the reality that immigrants in public life are often portrayed as outsiders,” Singh, who immigrated from India to the United States in 1999 with his family, when he was just 14 years old, said in an exclusive interview.
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