Telugu-origin Aruna Miller re-elected as Maryland lieutenant governor | Hyderabad News

Telugu-origin Aruna Miller re-elected as Maryland lieutenant governor

Hyderabad: Telugu-origin Indian-American politician Aruna Miller has won a second four-year term as Maryland’s lieutenant governor, alongside Democratic Governor Wes Moore, in the US midterm elections held on Nov 3. According to the Maryland State Board of Elections website, the Miller and Moore ticket secured 62.55% of the vote — 1.98 percentage points lower than the 64.53% won by the duo in 2022.In a comment shared with TOI following her re-election, the Hyderabad-born 61-year-old said that the support of the Indian-American community had been particularly meaningful to her victory. “I hope my re-election inspires more young people, particularly those from immigrant families, to see themselves in positions of leadership and recognise that their backgrounds are a source of strength, not a limitation,” she said.Speaking to TOI ahead of the election, Miller had also spoken about how her Telugu identity continued to shape her, despite spending most of her life in the US.Though Miller immigrated to the US from Hyderabad at the age of seven, she has remained closely connected to her Indian roots. In 2011, she accompanied then Maryland governor Martin O’Malley on a trade mission to India, with Hyderabad as the first stop. The visit sought to strengthen economic ties between Maryland and India, and Miller helped coordinate the governor’s engagements in the city.Later, at her swearing-in ceremony in 2023, she took her oath of office with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita.Miller has also worked to strengthen Indian-American political representation. In 2019, she was appointed executive director of Indian American Impact, an organisation working to increase political participation and representation among Indian Americans.Following her victory on Wednesday, representatives of the Telugu-American community congratulated Miller, describing her re-election as a “matter of pride and an inspiration for younger generations to enter public service”. Vamshi Reddy, former president of the Telangana American Telugu Association, said Miller’s public service was an encouraging example of Telugu-American participation in civic life.“Seeing women from our community pursue public leadership can inspire younger generations to see themselves as future public servants,” he said.“This is a big win for diversity, for people across the world. Seeing so many Indian-Americans and people with roots in other countries shows that it is not all about MAGA or anti-immigrants. This is complete blue wave and a very good sign. Even in Republic-dominated states, Democrats have come out with flying colours,” said Jayanth Challa, president, American Telugu Association.Niranjan Srungavarapu of the Telugu Association of North America said Miller’s accomplishments reflected the growing contributions of Indian-origin Americans to public service and leadership in the US.In New York, meanwhile, incumbent Democrat Letitia James defeated Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy, who is of Telugu origin, to win a third term as attorney general, according to local reports.