Raja Krishnamoorthi

Raja Krishnamoorthi
Democratic candidate for
Democratic Primary - Illinois's 8th district
Election date
March 20, 2012
Opponent(s) Tammy Duckworth (D)
Incumbent Joe Walsh (R)
Personal details
Born July 19, 1973[1]
New Delhi, India
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Priya Krishnamoorthi
Residence Hoffman Estates, Illinois[2]
Alma mater Princeton University (B.S.E.)
Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Occupation Lawyer, engineer
Religion Hinduism[3]
Website rajaforcongress.com

S. Raja Krishnamoorthi is a lawyer, engineer, and politician who currently serves as the president of Sivananthan Laboratories in Bolingbrook, Illinois. In March 2012 he sought the Democratic nomination in Illinois's 8th congressional district for the United States House of Representatives, losing to Tammy Duckworth.[4]

Previously, Krishnamoorthi was the policy director and a senior advisor for Barack Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, and also served as an advisor to Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign. He served as Deputy Treasurer of Illinois from 2007-2009 under Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, and in 2010 ran for the Democratic nomination for Illinois State Comptroller, losing to David E. Miller by less than 1% of the vote.[5]

Early life and education

Raja Krishnamoorthi was born on July 19, 1973 in New Delhi, India. He was 3 months old when his parents immigrated to Buffalo, New York, where his father completed a graduate degree in industrial engineering. In 1980, his family moved to Peoria, Illinois after his father was appointed as a faculty member at Bradley University.

Krishnamoorthi attended Richwoods High School in Peoria, Illinois, where he was valedictorian. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in public policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. After two years in management consulting, he attended Harvard Law School, graduating with honors in 2000.[6]

Early career

After graduating from law school, Krishnamoorthi clerked for Judge Joan B. Gottschall at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[7] He then joined the Chicago law firm of Kirkland & Ellis in 2002, where he practiced commercial litigation and became a partner in the firm.[7] While at the firm, Krishnamoorthi was appointed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan as a Special Assistant Attorney General to help start the anti-corruption Public Integrity Unit.[6][7] He also served on the board of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, becoming chair of its Audit Committee.[7] Krishnamoorthi left Kirkland & Ellis in 2007 to become the Deputy Treasurer of Illinois.[6]

Political career

Barack Obama campaigns

Raja and then State Senator Barack Obama in Raja's childhood home in Peoria, Illinois (July 2002)

A long-time friend of Barack Obama, Krishnamoorthi served in several positions in Obama's campaigns, first in Obama's failed primary run in the 1st congressional district election in 2000. In Obama's successful 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, Krishnamoorthi was issues director during the primary and a senior advisor during the general election. He also advised Obama in the 2008 presidential election.[6]

Deputy Treasurer of Illinois

On September 12, 2007, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias appointed Krishnamoorthi his Deputy Treasurer for Policy and Programs, making Krishnamoorthi one of the highest-ranking Indian Americans to serve the State of Illinois.[7] As Deputy Treasurer, Krishnamoorthi was responsible for overseeing programs in the Illinois Treasurer's Office involving the custody and administration of billions of dollars in state funds. He also helped the Illinois Treasurer's Office administer ethics and transparency rules.

2010 Illinois Comptroller race

In April 2009, Krishnamoorthi resigned from his position as Deputy Treasurer of Illinois and opened a campaign exploratory committee for Illinois Comptroller.[6] During his bid to be the first Asian-American to be elected to statewide office in Illinois, his campaign broke fundraising records for the primary election for the Comptroller's race,[8] garnered endorsements from more than 100 elected and community leaders from Illinois,[9] launched a statewide television advertisement,[10] and earned the endorsement of both major Chicago newspapers, the Chicago Tribune,[11][12] and the Chicago Sun-Times.[13] In the election, Krishnamoorthi won over 380,000 votes, coming within 1 percent of winning the Democratic nomination.[14] As a result, he was among a list of candidates considered for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, after the primary winner Scott Lee Cohen stepped down from the nomination due to a domestic abuse scandal.[15]

2012 Congressional bid

On May 22, 2011, Krishnamoorthi announced he was forming an exploratory committee to run for the U.S. House seat in Illinois's Eighth Congressional District.[16][17] On March 20, 2012, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Tammy Duckworth by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.[18] Duckworth defeated Republican Congressman Joe Walsh in the general election on November 6, 2012.[4]

Sivananthan Laboratories

Krishnamoorthi serves as the president of Sivananthan Laboratories in Bolingbrook, Illinois, a position he has held since September 9, 2010.[19] The company describes itself as a research, development, and commercialization firm specializing in night vision military technology, solar cells, biosensors to detect weapons of mass destruction, and radiation detectors.[6]

Personal life

Krishnamoorthi resides in Hoffman Estates, Illinois with his wife Priya and their two sons, Vijay and Vikram.[6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=217436
  2. ↑ Pearson, Rick (August 24, 2009). "Comptroller race has its first candidate". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  3. ↑ http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/548/campaigns-take-holiday-to-during-holiday-season/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chicago Sun-Times http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/11421901-417/tammy-duckworth-wins-sets-up-high-profile-battle-with-joe-walsh.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ http://www.elections.il.gov/electioninformation/VoteTotalsList.aspx?ElectionType=GP&ElectionID=28&SearchType=OfficeSearch&OfficeID=5035&QueryType=Office&
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 http://rajaforcongress.com/biography
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Giannoulias appoints new Deputy Treasurer". State of Illinois. September 12, 2007.
  8. ↑ "Krishnamoorthi touts nearly 1 million for comptroller-race". State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois). January 5, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  9. ↑ "Supporters". Chicago: Raja for Illinois. January 31, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  10. ↑ "Raja for Comptroller TV ad". Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  11. ↑ "Editorial Board Endorsements: S. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democratic Candidate for Comptroller". Chicago Tribune. January 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  12. ↑ "Real Competition". Chicago Tribune. January 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  13. ↑ "Complete List of Sun-Times Endorsements". Chicago Sun-Times. February 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  14. ↑ "Primary election results". Chicago Tribune. February 3, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  15. ↑ "Former Peorian for Lt. Governor?". February 8, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  16. ↑ "Redistricting may boost Krishnamoorthi's Congress bid". The Times Of India.
  17. ↑ Constable, Burt (May 21, 2011). "Race in the 8th begins". Daily Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Duckworth, Jackson win". Chicago Tribune. March 21, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Sivananthan Laboratories Celebrates One-Year Anniversary". Reuters. September 10, 2010.

External links