Upendra J. Chivukula

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Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula
Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula

Upendra J. Chivukula (born October 8, 1950) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where he represents the 17th legislative district.

Assemblyman Chivukula is the first Asian Indian American elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and the fourth Indian American in the United States to be elected to state office.[1][2]

Chivukula has been the Assembly's Deputy Speaker since 2007. He serves in the Assembly on the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee (as Chair) and the Commerce and Economic Development Committee.[3]

Assemblyman Chivukula has served on the Franklin Township Council since 1997, serving as its Mayor in 2000 and its Deputy Mayor in 1998.[3] In Franklin Township, he has also served on the Franklin Township Community Foundation, Finance Oversight Committee, Traffic Management Committee, Fire Prevention Board, Emergency Life Support Delivery, Integrated Communications Committee, Emergency Management, Franklin Township Planning Board, Economic Development Committee, Community / Senior Center Steering Committee and the Bicentennial Celebration Committee. Chivukula has served on the Somerset County Affordable Housing Board of Trustees and the Middlesex County Cultural and Historic Commission. He was appointed by then Governor of New Jersey James Florio to be a Public Member of the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, where he served from 1994 to 1997.

He was a Member of Delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1996 and 2000.[4]

Chivukula was one of New Jersey's presidential electors casting the state's Electoral College votes after the 2004 presidential election.[5] New Jersey's electors cast their ballots on December 13, 2004 in the State House Annex, in Trenton, where all 15 votes were cast for the Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.

Chivukula received a B.E.E. from Guindy Engineering College (now part of Anna University) in Electrical Engineering and was awarded an M.E.E. degree from City College of New York in Electrical Engineering.[3] He was born in Nellore, India, and currently resides in Somerset.[6]

Chivukula has proposed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state college tuition rates.[7]

[edit] District 17

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 17th District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:

[edit] References

  1. ^ 2004 State Government Official Category, accessed April 21, 2007. "Upendra Chivukula is the first Asian Indian American elected to the New Jersey State Assembly and the fourth Indian American in the US to be elected to state office."
  2. ^ A Tale of Two Candidates, accessed April 21, 2007. "He is also the fourth Indian American to be elected to state office in the United States and served as mayor of Franklin Township in 2000, deputy mayor in 1998 and on the Franklin Township Council from 1997 to 2005."
  3. ^ a b c Assemblyman Chivukula's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 23, 2008.
  4. ^ Biography of Upendra J. Chivukula, accessed April 21, 2007.
  5. ^ 2004 Presidential Election: Electoral College Members, accessed January 7, 2007.
  6. ^ Assembly Member Upendra J. Chivukula, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 12, 2007.
  7. ^ Caiazza, Tom. "Immigrant issues ignite debate: Residents seek in-state tuition for illegals", Home News Tribune, December 12, 2007. Accessed December 12, 2007.

[edit] External links

Current members of the New Jersey General Assembly
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1: Albano (D), Milam (D)
2: Amodeo (R), Polistina (R)
3: Burzichelli (D), Fisher (D)
4: Love (D), Moriarty (D)
5: Cruz-Perez (D), Roberts (D)
6: Greenwald (D), Lampitt (D)
7: Conaway (D), Conners (D)
8: Addiego (R), Rudder (R)
9: Rumpf (R), Van Pelt (R)
10: Holzapfel (R), Wolfe (R)

11: Angelini (R), Rible (R)
12: Casagrande (R), O'Scanlon (R)
13: Handlin (R), Thompson (R)
14: DeAngelo (D), Greenstein (D)
15: Gusciora (D), Watson Coleman (D)
16: Biondi (R), Coyle (R)
17: Chivukula (D), Egan (D)
18: Barnes (D), Diegnan (D)
19: Vas (D), Wisniewski (D)
20: Cohen (D), Cryan (D)

21: Bramnick (R), Munoz (R)
22: Green (D), Stender (D)
23: Doherty (R), Karrow (R)
24: Chiusano (R), McHose (R)
25: Carroll (R), Merkt (R)
26: DeCroce (R), Webber (R)
27: Jasey (D), McKeon (D)
28: Caputo (D), Tucker (D)
29: Coutinho (D), Spencer (D)
30: Dancer (R), Malone (R)

31: Chiappone (D), Smith (D)
32: Prieto (D), Quigley (D)
33: Ramos (D), Rodriguez (D)
34: Giblin (D), Oliver (D)
35: Evans (D), Pou (D)
36: Scalera (D), Schaer (D)
37: Huttle (D), Johnson (D)
38: Voss (D), Wagner (D)
39: Rooney (R), Vandervalk (R)
40: Rumana (R), Russo (R)
Democrat (48 seats) | Republican (32 seats)