US presidential elections 2012: 25-year-old Ricky Gill could be youngest member of Congress

By C Subramanyam

WASHINGTON: While all eyes are on the US presidential election, Indian Americans should watch a hotly contested congressional race in California, where the son of Sikh immigrants stands a good chance of becoming the youngest member of the House of Representatives.

Ricky Gill, a 25-year-old Republican who just graduated from law school at the University of California-Berkeley, wants to defeat the Democratic incumbent, Representative Jerry McNerney, in the new 9th Congressional District. If he wins, it would be his first full-time job, Democrats point out.

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Gill is neck-and-neck with McNerney because he has proven to be a prolific fundraiser and has strong backing from the national Republican Party, which sees him as an attractive candidate with a stellar future.

According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Gill has raised $2.5 million as of September 30, compared to incumbent's $2 million. It's unusual for challengers to outraise incumbents in congressional races, but Gill, the son of Sikh physicians and farmers in Lodi, California, has tapped into the Indian-American network for campaign contributions in a big way.

On his campaign web site, Gill says he was involved in managing his family's farming and liquor business, did educational consulting and served as the student representative on the California Board of Education. A genteel race it is not in California's 9th Congressional District. And if Gill loses on November 6, he will have ample opportunity to seek a rematch in 2014.

( Global India Newswire)