| New Jersey, US | 5 July 2017 | Asia Samachar |
Councilman and lawyer Ravinder Singh Bhalla plans to run for mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey. If he wins, he will be the United States’ only directly elected turbaned Sikh Mayor.
Ravinder, a councilman-at-large for Hoboken, was born and raised in New Jersey.
During his term, Ravinder has served as Council President of the City of Hoboken from 2011-2012, Council Vice-President from 2010-2011 & 2013-2014 and Chairman of the Hoboken Democratic Party from 2010-2011. Prior to his service as a councilman, he served as a local Democratic Committeeman for the 2nd Ward, 3rd District of Hoboken from 2007-2009.
Ravinder is an attorney-at-law with offices in Rochelle Park, where he practices in the areas of employment law, commercial litigation, local government law and criminal defense in the federal and state courts of New Jersey and New York.
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“He would be New Jersey’s first Mayor who follows the Sikh faith, and, as far as we know, he would also be America’s only directly elected turbaned Sikh Mayor. Imagine what it would mean to have a Sikh mayor from an immigrant family just across the river from Mr. Trump’s home in New York City,” writes Simran Jeet Singh, an Assistant Professor of Religion at Trinity University and a Senior Religion Fellow at The Sikh Coalition, in a Facebook posting. He descibes Ravi as a friend.
“Ravi’s election would send a strong message that our nation’s central aspirations of liberty and equality are alive and well and that merit matters above all. For fellow minorities, his election would have deep meaning as we tell our children to dream big dreams because anything is possible if they work hard.”
Last month, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer announced that she will not seek another term for office in November. In the same announcement, she endorsed Ravinder for the post.
“I am more comfortable making this decision because Councilman Ravi Bhalla is stepping forward to run for mayor, giving me confidence that our city will continue on the positive course that our Reform team has set together,” she was quoted in a report (Patch.com).
https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/hoboken-mayor-dawn-zimmer-i-won-t-run-another-term
Ravinder received his undergraduate education from the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a B.A. in Political Psychology. Upon graduation, he attended the London School of Economics (L.S.E.) in the United Kingdom and received a Master of Science degree in Public Administration and Public Policy. He earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ravinder is admitted to practice in the state courts of New Jersey and New York, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
He is married to Navneet K. Patwalia Bhalla, and they have two children, Arza K. Bhalla and Shabegh S. Bhalla.
If you want to support his campaign, visit here: https://www.ravinderbhalla.com/go/contribute/
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