Indo-American likely to win election for California DA

After Bobby Jindal’s unsuccessful bid for Louisiana Governorship, another Indian American is fighting to become San Francisco’s Di...

After Bobby Jindal’s unsuccessful bid for Louisiana Governorship, another Indian American is fighting to become San Francisco’s District Attorney, in a nationalised election set for today.

Kamala Harris, a 39-year-old lawyer, is likely to become the first Indo-American woman in the US to land a top prosecutor’s job. A recent poll for CBS 5-TV showed Harris maintaining a slight edge. Among 505 certain voters surveyed last week, 52 per cent said they supported Harris to Terrence Hallinan’s 47 per cent. Hallinan’s camp said the incumbent has never polled well, but has a strong record.

Harris, daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, was relatively unknown at the outset of the campaign..

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However, she surprised many when she got 33 per cent of the votes at the November 4 election, coming second to incumbent Hallinan, and edging out Bill Fazio by about 5,000 votes.

Harris has run her campaign on a platform critical of Hallinan’s low conviction rate, and promised an aggressive prosecution of violent crimes, especially sexual exploitation and domestic violence against women and children.

‘‘We see her as a member of the South Asian community and are proud to endorse her. It’s absolutely historic as far as we’re concerned that a South Asian might obtain such a high office,’’ said Paul Grewal, President of the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California.