Ashwin Madia

Infobox Congressional Candidate
honorific-prefix =
name = Ashwin Madia
honorific-suffix =


state = Minnesota
nominee = U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota, 3rd District
party = Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party
birth_name =
birth_date =
birth_place = Plymouth, Minnesota
alma_mater = University of Minnesota,
New York University School of Law
profession = attorney
spouse =
residence = Plymouth, Minnesota
religion =
website = http://www.madiaforcongress.com/

Jigar Ashwin Madia, known as Ashwin Madia (born March 3, 1978 in Boston, Massachusetts), is an American attorney and Iraq War veteran currently running for the United States Congress in Minnesota's 3rd congressional district. [cite web |url=http://www.madiaforcongress.com |title=Ashwin madia for Congress |accessdate=2007-12-05 |publisher=Madia for Congress] He won the endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) against other candidates including State Senator Terri Bonoff (DFL); the only announced candidate for the Republican nomination is Erik Paulsen.

His candidacy was announced after the incumbent, Jim Ramstad (Republican), announced his retirement in 2007, which gave an opportunity for both major parties to field potential candidates. The district is ranked as one of the top ten most likely to switch parties in 2008. [cite news |title=The Line: GOP Exodus From House Puts Party on Defense |first=Chris |last=Cillizza |date=November 30, 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-05 |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/11/the_house_line_open_seats_enda.html |work=The Fix |publisher=The Washington Post]

Biography

Ashwin Madia's parents moved to America from Mumbai, India. Madia's family, who arrived in the United States impoverished, settled in Plymouth, Minnesota, where he went to Osseo Senior High School. He attended the University of Minnesota, where he became student body president. He then attended New York University School of Law. Madia provided pro bono representation to battered women, disabled children, and immigrants seeking asylum.

Madia then joined the U.S. Marine Corps and completed the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. His first duty station was Okinawa, Japan, where he served as a prosecutor, defense counsel, and legal advisor to a Marine Corps commander. Madia was one of the first attorneys to successfully defend a fellow Marine from treatment under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. [ [http://www.mnblue.com/mn-03_ashwin_madia_interview MN-03: Ashwin Madia interview | mnblue ] ]

Madia later served in Iraq from September 2005 to March 2006. While there, he worked in a non-combat role to strengthen Iraq's criminal justice system. This job included working with Iraqi judicial officers, U.S. military and civilian officials, and representatives of the European Union and United Nations, as well as briefing top U.S. generals on the status of the rule of law in the country. In July 2006, Madia finished active duty and returned to Minnesota, where he began to work at a local law firm.

In 1996, Madia was a supporter of Republican Senator Bob Dole in his bid for the White House against president Bill Clinton. [ [http://www.mndaily.com/articles/1996/11/04/1935 Dole would bring integrity, leadership to highest office - Minnesota Daily ] ] In the 2000 presidential race, Madia volunteered for Senator John McCain. Madia was a moderate Republican until 2002, when his positions on social issues and Iraq led him to the Democratic Party. In 2006, Madia volunteered on the DFL campaigns of Grace Baltich, Andy Borene, Senator Satveer Chaudhary, and Wendy Wilde. [ [http://mnpublius.com/2007/11/madia-the-dfler/ Madia the DFLer | MNpublius.com ] ]

Madia was living in the Minnesota's 5th congressional district (Minneapolis, Minnesota), at the time the 3rd Congressional District seat became available. After he announced his run for the 3rd Congressional District seat, he moved back to Plymouth.

2008 campaign

Madia has been endorsed by VoteVets.org. [ [http://votevets.org/candidates?id=0009 VoteVets.org | Candidates ] ] He has also been endorsed by the Teamsters Local 120 [ [http://mnpublius.com/2008/02/breaking-madia-endorsed-by-teamsters-local-120 BREAKING: Madia Endorsed by Teamsters Local 120 | MNpublius.com ] ] and the United Auto Workers Minnesota State CAP Council. [ [http://www.mncampaignreport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1118 Minnesota Campaign Report:: Madia endorsed by UAW ] ] Because of his progressive views on LGBT issues, Madia has also received the endorsement of eQualityGiving. [ [http://www.equalitygiving.org/Ashwin-Madia-for-Congress-Endorsement eQualityGiving - Ashwin Madia for Congress: Letter from Donor ] ]

According to Madia's website, he now hopes to "draw on his record of leadership, service, and advocacy to represent the 3rd District in the U.S. Congress. Madia is running to end the war in Iraq responsibly, balance the budget, address global warming, expand access to health care, renew the federal commitment to education, and safeguard our constitutional liberties". He also says that he will abide by the endorsement of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Ashwin Madia earned a majority of delegates at the senate district conventions that took place across the 3rd District on March 1 [ [http://www.mncampaignreport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1142 Minnesota Campaign Report:: SD42: Good day for Franken, Madia ] ] , March 8 [ [http://www.mncampaignreport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1156 Minnesota Campaign Report:: Big wins for Madia today ] ] , and March 15. [ [http://mnpublius.com/2008/03/its-all-madia/ Its all Madia | MNpublius.com ] ] . At the 3rd District DFL endorsing convention, which took place on April 12, 2008, Madia and his final opponent, State Senator Terri Bonoff, competed with indecisive results through eight ballots. Following the eighth ballot, Bonoff dropped out. [ [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/04/12/3rddistrict/ MPR: Democrats endorse Madia in 3rd Congressional Dist ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.madiaforcongress.com/ Madia for U.S. Congress] "official campaign website"
* [http://opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?ID=MN03&Cycle=2008 Campaign contributions] at OpenSecrets.org
*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Minnesota/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Candidates_and_Campaigns/US_House/Congressional_District_3/Ashwin_Madia_%5bD%5d