Tamil Nadu-Born Rini Sampath, 31, Enters Race for Washington DC Mayor

Sampath, who immigrated to the United States at age seven and has lived in the US capital for more than a decade, launched her campaign with a sharp critique of the city's political establishment and a focus on infrastructure and essential services.

"As Mayor, my priority will be to make sure our city lives up to its basic commitments to our residents: Fill the potholes. Stop the catastrophic wastewater spill in the Potomac. Lower prices. Improve 911 wait times," she said.

Her campaign slogan underscores that theme: "A CITY WHERE WE FIX THE BASICS, STRENGTHEN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND LOWER THE COST OF LIVING. IT'S TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW."

In her launch video, Sampath draws a contrast with what she calls entrenched leadership in City Hall.

"Why would you give a promotion to someone who has failed at the basic functions of their job?" she says, referring to the "current front runners in the DC Mayors race" as "political insiders who have served on the city council for years."

"We all know DC government is broken," she adds, citing recent snowstorms that left "streets and sidewalks... unpassable and dangerous," with "trash piled up" and "waterlines burst because of aging infrastructure."

"People lost income because they couldn't get to work, and businesses suffered because their customers couldn't get around the city," she says in the video.

Sampath argues the problems extend beyond a single weather event. "But the problem is a lot bigger than one snow storm," she says. "While we watch our city's infrastructure crumble around us, the same political insiders have been in City Hall for years sitting on their hands."

Positioning herself as an outsider, she says: "I'm not a politician. I'm not backed by any special interest groups. I'm a federal contractor who spent my career improving government programs and citizen services."

She adds, "We need someone new. We need to go back to basics and fix our roads and sidewalks and city services."

Born in Theni, Tamil Nadu, Sampath describes her Tamil Nadu roots as central to her motivation for public service. "My grandfather has always been a driving force for me and a source of inspiration," she says in a separate campaign video.

"He and my grandmother both only completed a seventh grade and a first grade education respectively, and so it means the world to me to be in the US and be able to live in our nation's capital and experience this great life."

She also credits her father's decision to move the family to the United States. "He's been willing to really push the envelope and take risks in order to bring us that better life, and so I think he reminds me that I have to do the absolute best with what I've been given," she says.

Tamil is her first language, according to campaign materials. Sampath says she has raised more than $15,000 since entering the race.

Washington, DC, operates under a mayor-council system of government, with the mayor serving as the chief executive of the District. The city's Democratic primary is often decisive, given the party's strong voter base in the capital.

- IANS