Sri Kulkarni Running in Democratic Primary Against Pete Olson in the 22nd Texas District
Sri Preston Kulkarni is running as a Democrat in the 22nd district to “Make America Decent Again”.
HOUSTON: A number of Indo-Americans have thrown their hat in the political arena for the 2018 U.S. Congressional elections.
Among these is Sri Preston Kulkarni, who is seeking the Democratic party nomination for the 22nd Congressional district against incumbent Republican Congressman Pete Olson.
The 22nd district covers a diverse region of southeast Texas and includes the cities of Sugar Land, Missouri City, Deer Park, Pearland and Galveston. Kulkarni grew up in the Houston area with his parents, Venkatesh and Margaret Kulkarni. A published novelist, Venkatesh Kulkarni taught creative writing at Rice University.
Sri graduated from the University of Texas Plan II Honors program. Following college, Sri was commissioned as a Foreign Service Officer by Secretary of State Colin Powell and served his country for 14 years, with overseas tours in Iraq, Israel, Russia, Taiwan, and Jamaica.
In 2015, Sri accepted a Pearson Fellowship to serve as a foreign policy and defense advisor on Capitol Hill, assisting Senator Kirsten Gillibrand with her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee. In 2017, Sri completed a mid-career Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School. Sri and a Republican colleague founded a bipartisan initiative called “Breaking Bread,” which aims to reduce the partisan hostility in our society, that has been repeated in several states. “The greatest danger to our country right now is not a foreign power, but the internal divisions in our society.” explains Kulkarni. “That is why I am coming home to Texas to serve. I know firsthand that to push back the tide of fear, we must recognize the sources which are fanning the flames of resentment and defuse them, by offering a positive vision for the future that all groups can believe in. “With your support, I promise to be a strong voice in Congress for returning to real Texas values, such as truth, fairness, generosity towards others, and respect for the dignity of the individual,” Kulkarni continued. “With your help, we can make America decent again.”