Chicago: Rising living costs, immigration anxiety, job losses and concerns over cuts to Social Security and Medicare are shaping Indian American entrepreneur Neil Khot’s campaign for the US House of Representatives from Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, as he mounts a grassroots Democratic bid to retain a seat being vacated by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Khot said conversations with voters across the district have consistently pointed to economic pressure and uncertainty. “People are worried that they are insurance premiums are going up,” he said. “Interest rates are very high. So there is unaffordability in the society. People cannot afford housing. People cannot afford day-to-day groceries.” He added that business owners are unsettled by trade policy uncertainty, saying there is “no proper tariff position, so they don’t know what steps to take,” he told IANS in an interview.
Immigration enforcement has emerged as another defining issue, according to Khot. “People are worried. Business people are worried that they’ve been dragged, kidnapped and taken,” he said, referring to fears around immigration raids. As a first-generation immigrant, Khot said the issue is deeply personal. “We never, ever have to go through this feeling that the current government has made us go through that America is not welcoming,” he said. “America should be welcoming. That’s what they did to me.”
Khot said protecting seniors is central to his agenda, warning against reductions to entitlement programs. “For my seniors, I want to fight to make sure Medicare and Social Security are not cut down,” he said, adding that benefits such as SNAP and healthcare should also be safeguarded. “In the richest country, we should not have healthcare bankrupt people and families.”
Presenting himself as an outsider to Washington politics, Khot stressed that he is “not a career politician” but a “small business entrepreneur” with decades of community involvement. He said his campaign is focused on “fighting for immigrants, fighting for the hardworking families,” while ensuring “business people have the right opportunity to make sure that they can run proper businesses.”
The Democratic primary is scheduled for March 17, and Khot said his campaign, now about eight months old, has already secured a place on the ballot. “Our campaign is a grassroots campaign. It’s a campaign that’s gonna support our community,” he said, adding that voter outreach has begun across the district’s nearly 25 villages and eight townships. Television advertising, mailers and expanded field operations are set to begin in mid-January.
Khot outlined the district’s demographic makeup as a key factor in his strategy. He said the constituency has about 750,000 residents, with roughly 60 per cent white voters, about 24 per cent Hispanic or South American residents, and between 12 and 16 per cent South Asians, alongside smaller numbers of other minorities. “Most of our voters are going to be about the age of 50 and above,” he said. “That’s a major dynamic of this entire district.”
He said his approach is to build support across communities, with particular emphasis on white voters, followed by Hispanic and South Asian residents. Fundraising and volunteer support, he added, have come from across the country, including California, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago and the Midwest. “We need representation,” Khot said, describing national backing as important for Indian American and South Asian communities.
Khot acknowledged guidance from Krishnamoorthi’s office, saying there is “a constant dialogue going on and off” about voter concerns and district priorities. He praised the outgoing congressman’s record and said, “I believe that he will be a great senator for us to represent the entire state of Illinois.”
On foreign policy, Khot said the United States should restore its role as a constructive global partner. “We’ve always been the path for democracy around the world,” he said, arguing against what he described as an intimidating posture abroad and calling instead for “welcoming, creating friendships and a deeper relation.” On India-US ties, he said, “The world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy should have a deeper alliance.”
The 8th Congressional District of Illinois has been held by Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi since 2017 and is considered a strongly Democratic seat. Krishnamoorthi is running for the US Senate in a competitive primary.
Indian Americans have steadily expanded their political footprint in the United States over the past decade, with growing representation in Congress, state legislatures and local governments, reflecting the community’s increasing demographic and civic influence nationwide.
(IANS)
