A Letter from Melissa to the Indian-American Community

Dear Friends,

As we close out this primary, I want to begin with a word of gratitude and respect for Rakhi Israni. She ran a spirited, principled campaign and brought new energy and new voices into our democracy, including a significant increase in civic participation across the Indian American community. Campaigns can be hard-fought, but ours made this district stronger. I am grateful to Rakhi for her endorsement of my campaign, and I look forward to partnering in the coming months to win on August 18th, and then again on November 2.

I am running because too many families here are being squeezed by the rising cost of living. My priorities are straightforward: bringing down the cost of housing by building more homes at every level of affordability, lowering the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs while protecting and expanding Medicare, and making childcare and everyday essentials affordable again. These are the kitchen-table issues I worked on as Mayor of Dublin and as a BART Director, and they are the work I will carry to Congress.

I also want to speak directly to the Hindu families of our district. Every resident deserves to worship and live free from fear, and I am troubled by the rise in anti-Hindu hate we have seen close to home. Last September, a Hindu temple in Sacramento was defaced with hateful graffiti telling Hindus to “go back,” and across the country worshippers have been targeted simply for practicing their faith, including the assault of a Hindu priest in religious attire in Queens. These acts have no place in our community. I want to partner with you to combat this hate: to ensure law enforcement takes these incidents seriously and investigates them fully, to strengthen protections against religiously motivated crimes, and to make certain your community is never an afterthought in the halls of power.

This hate does not stop at the doors of Hindu temples. It also reaches into our civic and political life, where candidates and community leaders are too often judged by their faith and heritage rather than their record. Standing against it means evaluating individuals based on their actions and character, not their identity. In our democracy, no one should be asked to disavow their faith to participate in public life. I will continue to oppose any litmus tests that judge Americans based on who they are, rather than what they have done.

You have my commitment to listen, to show up, and to stand with you. I look forward to earning your trust and building a partnership rooted in dignity, safety, and respect for every family that calls this district home.

With gratitude,

Melissa