Thirty-one year-old Rini Sampath tells you right off the bat that she is not a politician. But she is running for Mayor of Washington, D.C., the center of all things political. She says she is running as an ‘outsider.’
She declared her candidacy on February 18, posting on Facebook urging friends and family to support her.
The Democratic primary is scheduled to be held June 16, when Sampath faces off against at least 8 other party enthusiasts, and a Green Party candidate, seeking the nomination. Sampath has already made history by throwing her hat into the ring to become the first woman of Indian origin seeking to run this city.
Born in Theni, Tamil Nadu, and brought up in the US from the age of 7, Sampath is entering politics from a place where many Democrats find their way into the arena – social organizing, liberal activism, public service, and the non-profit world.
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Having lived for the last 10 years in D.C., Sampath’s platform rests on her experience as a federal contractor and before that as a student activist and field organizer.
“I’m a federal contractor who has spent my career improving government programs and citizen services,” she says on her website riniformayor.com.
She says public service has shaped her. She helped lead the first all-women ticket when she was elected Student Body President at University of Southern California; She worked in neighborhoods as a field organizer; and she has managed higher education nonprofit programs.
“When institutions fall short, I organize, I speak up, and I work to change them,” asserts Sampath, who sees Washington as another of those kinds of places which are falling short of delivering promises to its residents.
“Washington, DC is one of the best cities in the world to live in, despite the failures of our city leaders,” she maintains. But she has a bigger dream – of having a government that “pairs competence with creativity” to achieve “vibrant neighborhoods, strong local economies, and a shared sense that the city is moving forward. That’s my dream for DC.”
Not being a politician means she is also not enamored to special interest groups, she notes.
“It’s time for an outsider who is relentlessly focused on fixing our basic city services. That’s why I’m in the race to be your new Mayor, and I hope we can work together to create a better DC,” she says to rally support.
Sampath points to the recent February snowstorm that engulfed the capital, to make her case for a dysfunctional city – “when neighbors couldn’t leave their homes, people with disabilities were stranded, and workers lost income because the city failed to deliver basic services.”
That is what catapulted her into the race. “For me, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” says the Indian American candidate, after more than a decade of watching City Hall “fall short on its basic promises.”
“As Mayor, I’ll take inspiration from world-class cities that work well and apply those lessons in ways that fit Washington. That means a safer and more affordable DC, a thriving economy, and a better life for you,” Sampath promises.
“Running for Mayor to fix the basics,” is the motto on Sampath’s X.com site.