Harpreet Sandhu (politician)

Harpreet Singh Sandhu is an Indian American politician and community activist from Richmond, California and one of the most prominent ones of the Sikh religion. He was the first Asian and the first Sikh city councilman in Richmond, and one of only a few Sikhs to hold office in the United States.[1][2]

For the film Director, Actor with similar first name, see Harpreet Sandhu (Actor).

Political career

He was appointed to the council in January, 2007, to fill a vacancy left by Gayle McLaughlin when she became mayor from the city's Human Rights Commission. He received five votes with three abstentions. He began his single term with his swearing in on January 16, 2007.[2][3] Sandhu was one of a very few Sikh officeholders in the United States and the only one in California during his term.[2]

In 2008 he ran unsuccessfully for a full term.[4] He was endorsed by Jerry Brown and ran on an anti-crime, pro-municipal services platform.[5] He came in seventh in a contest for three available seats. Sandhu had voted along with the "Viramontes five" in July 2008 to expand the operational capacity of the Chevron Richmond Refinery, which was opposed by the more liberal bloc that took a majority of the council in the 2008 election.[6]

Harpreet Singh Sandhu was elected to represent Congressional District 7 as a Barack Obama delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. He was also invited to the White House's first-ever celebration of Guru Nanak as a prominent member of the Sikh community.[1]

He is a former president of the Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area, one of the largest Sikh places of worship in America.[7] He served on the human relations and human rights commission. Sandhu is a longtime advocate for the safety of taxi drivers who have often been the victims of crime, both for opportunity and alleged hate.[8]

Harpreet S. Sandhu had a major role in forming the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, which is a bipartisan group of lawmakers to address Sikh American issues.[9]

2008 election results
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
Jeff
Ritterman		Nat
Bates
(incumbent)		Tom
Butt
(incumbent)		Jovanka
Beckles		John
Márquez
(incumbent)		Corky
Boozé		Harpreet
Singh
Sandhu
(incumbent)		Rock
Brown		Chris
Tallerico		Navdeep
Garcha
DEMDEMDEMDEMDEMDEMDEMDEMDEMDEM
9,9879,5569,4289,0027,9296,1384,6652,1561,4911,243
WinWinWinLossLossLossLossLossLossLoss

Personal life

Harpreet Singh Sandhu is an immigrant from India. He is married to Interpreet Sandhu; they have three children. He attended San Francisco State University.[2] He worked as a postal worker for more than 20 years.[2]

References
  1. First White House celebration of Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Founder of Sikhism
  2. Richmond Sikh, Activist Joins Council Archived 2008-11-21 at the Wayback Machine, John Geluardi, Contra Costa Times, January 18, 2007, access date 07-12-2011
  3. Richmond City Council Agenda January 23, 2007 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, City of Richmond website, January 23, 2007, retrieved August 22, 2007
  4. Richmond's Chevron tax passing in early returns, Leslie Fulbright, Chronicle Staff Writer, November 5, 2008, access date 07-12-2011
  5. Harpreet Singh Sandhu website, access date 07-12-2011
  6. Richmond council OKs Chevron refinery plan, Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle, July 18, 2010, access date 07-12-2011
  7. Assailants will be found, Sikh community is told, Janine DeFao, San Francisco Chronicle, July 14, 2003, access date, 07-12-2011
  8. West County Public Forums to Focus on Taxi Driver Safety (California), Contra Costa Times, from Pluralism.org, by Tom Lochner, October 26, 2006, retrieved August 23, 2007
  9. Jha, Lalit K. "Sikh-American Congressional Caucus Formed in US". Retrieved 2017-12-21.


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