Washington: Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said restoring economic opportunity and holding government accountable is the core of his campaign as he runs for the US Senate.
“The most important issue right now is that the American dream — the ability of people to fulfil their economic potential — is slipping from the grasp of millions of people,” Krishnamoorthi told IANS in an interview.
He said rising costs have made basic necessities unaffordable for many families. “They’re just not able to afford to live,” he said, citing groceries, housing, electricity, healthcare, and education.
“They’re struggling in all of those respects, and as a consequence, the American dream is slipping,” he said. If elected in the November 2026 elections. Krishnamoorthi, 52, would be the first-ever Indian American and Hindu elected to the US Senate. Primary is scheduled for March 17. He is running for the seat being vacated by Senator Dick Durbin.
Krishnamoorthi said economic stress was compounded by failures in governance. “We have a government that is unaccountable to its citizenry right now,” he said. “It’s acting with impunity.”
He criticised trade and fiscal decisions that he said burden ordinary Americans. “It is basically raising tariffs on everything from everywhere, raising prices for everyone,” he said.
He also pointed to healthcare impacts. “It’s stripping health insurance for upwards of 17 million Americans,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi accused the administration of misplaced priorities. “It’s demolishing the east wing of the White House and building a golden ballroom,” he said, while failing to address serious allegations involving a child sex trafficking ring.
“It fails to produce crucial information with regard to a child sex trafficking ring that might have victimised more than a thousand young women in the early two thousand,” he said.
He said such actions reflected broader dysfunction. “It’s doing everything wrong right now, and we have to make sure that it’s held accountable,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi emphasised democratic principles as central to his campaign. “At the end of the day, the people rule this country, not one individual, not one party,” he said. “The people ultimately have the power.”
The Illinois Democrat has built a national profile through his work on economic policy, oversight, and foreign affairs.
His Senate bid comes amid heightened debate over inflation, healthcare access, and executive accountability, issues expected to dominate the 2026 election cycle.
(IANS)
