Bengaluru: Niraj Antani, a 29-year-old Republican, has created history by becoming the first Indian-American to be elected to the Ohio state Senate.

 

Antani, currently the State Representative, defeated Mark Fogel of the Democratic Party on Tuesday and was elected as the state Senator for the Ohio Senate's 6th District, which encompasses most of Montgomery County.

Once sworn-in, he will create history by becoming Ohio's first Indian-American state Senator.

"I am so grateful for the continued support of this community in which I was born and raised. My grandparents lived much of their life under British rule in India, only gaining their freedom seven decades ago," Antani said.

"That it is possible for their grandson to be elected as Ohio's first Indian-American State Senator is a testament to America's beauty. I thank the voters for entrusting in me with this sacred honour, to be their voice at the Statehouse," he said.

A political science graduate, Antani, at the age of 23, was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2014, becoming one of the youngest state lawmakers in the US.

"As state Senator, I will work hard every day so that all Ohioans can have the opportunity to achieve their American Dream," Antani said.

Antani's parents came to the US in 1987 and settled in Washington township. Later, they moved to Miami.