Ashwin Madia
Encyclopedia
Jigar Ashwin Madia, known as Ashwin Madia (born March 3, 1978 in Boston, Massachusetts), is an American
attorney and Iraq War veteran
who ran for the United States Congress
in Minnesota's 3rd congressional district
in 2008. He won the endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) against other candidates including State Senator Terri Bonoff
(DFL); the only announced candidate for the Republican nomination was Erik Paulsen
.
His candidacy was announced after the incumbent, Jim Ramstad
(Republican), announced his retirement in 2007, which gave an opportunity for both major parties to field potential candidates. The district was ranked as one of the top ten most likely to switch parties in 2008. However, after a challenging campaign, Madia received 40.9% of the vote and the district remained in the Republican column.
, India
. Madia's family, settled in Plymouth
, Minnesota, where he went to Osseo Senior High School
. He attended the University of Minnesota
, where he became student body president. He then attended New York University
School of Law
. Madia provided pro bono representation to battered women, disabled children, and immigrants seeking asylum.
Madia then joined the United States Marine Corps
and completed the Officer Candidate School in Quantico
, Virginia
. His first duty station was Okinawa, Japan, where he served as a prosecutor, defense counsel, and legal advisor to a Marine Corps commander. Madia was one of the first attorneys to successfully defend a fellow Marine from treatment under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Madia later served in Iraq from September 2005 to March 2006. While there, he worked in a non-combat role working with Iraq's criminal justice system. This job included working with Iraqi judicial officers, U.S. military and civilian officials, and representatives of the European Union
and United Nations
, as well as briefing top U.S. generals on the status of the rule of law
in the country. In July 2006, Madia finished active duty and returned to Minnesota, where he began to work at a local law firm.
In 1996, Madia was a supporter of Republican Senator Bob Dole
in his bid for the White House
against president Bill Clinton
. In the 2000 presidential race
, Madia volunteered for Senator John McCain
. Madia was a moderate Republican until 2002, when his positions on social issues and Iraq led him to the Democratic Party. In 2006, Madia volunteered on the DFL campaigns of Grace Baltich, Andy Borene, Senator Satveer Chaudhary
, and Wendy Wilde.
Madia was living in the Minnesota's 5th congressional district
(Minneapolis, Minnesota
), at the time the 3rd Congressional District seat became available. After he announced his run for the 3rd Congressional District seat, he moved back to Plymouth.
After running for Congress in 2008, Madia started his own practice, Madia Law, specializing in business litigation, consumer law, and immigration law.
According to Madia's website, he hoped to "draw on his record of leadership, service, and advocacy to represent the 3rd District in the U.S. Congress. Madia ran on positions such as ending the war in Iraq responsibly, balancing the budget, addressing global warming
, expanding access to health care
, renewing the federal commitment to education, and safeguarding constitutional liberties
". He also said that he will abide by the endorsement of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Ashwin Madia earned a majority of delegates at the senate district conventions that took place across the 3rd District on March 1, March 8, and March 15. At the 3rd District DFL endorsing convention, which took place on April 12, 2008, Madia and his final opponent, State Senator Terri Bonoff
, competed with indecisive results through eight ballots. Following the eighth ballot, Bonoff dropped out.
In the November 2008 election, Madia was defeated, receiving 40.9% of the vote.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and Iraq War veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
who ran for the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in Minnesota's 3rd congressional district
Minnesota's 3rd congressional district
Minnesota's 3rd congressional district is one of the most affluent in the state, encompassing the suburbs of Hennepin County to the north, west, and south of Minneapolis...
in 2008. He won the endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) against other candidates including State Senator Terri Bonoff
Terri Bonoff
Terri E. Bonoff is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate who represents District 43, which includes portions of Minnetonka, Plymouth and Medicine Lake in Hennepin County, which is in the Twin Cities metropolitan area...
(DFL); the only announced candidate for the Republican nomination was Erik Paulsen
Erik Paulsen
Erik Paulsen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives...
.
His candidacy was announced after the incumbent, Jim Ramstad
Jim Ramstad
James Marvin "Jim" Ramstad is a United States politician from the state of Minnesota.-Early life:Ramstad was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, was educated at the University of Minnesota and the George Washington University Law School. He was an officer in the United States National Guard from 1968...
(Republican), announced his retirement in 2007, which gave an opportunity for both major parties to field potential candidates. The district was ranked as one of the top ten most likely to switch parties in 2008. However, after a challenging campaign, Madia received 40.9% of the vote and the district remained in the Republican column.
Biography
Ashwin Madia's parents moved to America from MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Madia's family, settled in Plymouth
Plymouth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 65,894 people, 24,820 households, and 17,647 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,002.0 persons per square mile . There were 25,258 housing units at an average density of 767.4 per square mile...
, Minnesota, where he went to Osseo Senior High School
Osseo Senior High School
Osseo Senior High school is a three year public high school located in Osseo, Minnesota on 317 2nd Ave. NW.The principal is Dr. Robert Perdaems and the assistant principals are Diana Bledsoe and Ronnie King.-Overview:...
. He attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, where he became student body president. He then attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
. Madia provided pro bono representation to battered women, disabled children, and immigrants seeking asylum.
Madia then joined the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and completed the Officer Candidate School in Quantico
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. His first duty station was Okinawa, Japan, where he served as a prosecutor, defense counsel, and legal advisor to a Marine Corps commander. Madia was one of the first attorneys to successfully defend a fellow Marine from treatment under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Madia later served in Iraq from September 2005 to March 2006. While there, he worked in a non-combat role working with Iraq's criminal justice system. This job included working with Iraqi judicial officers, U.S. military and civilian officials, and representatives of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, as well as briefing top U.S. generals on the status of the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
in the country. In July 2006, Madia finished active duty and returned to Minnesota, where he began to work at a local law firm.
In 1996, Madia was a supporter of Republican Senator Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
in his bid for the White House
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
against president Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. In the 2000 presidential race
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, Madia volunteered for Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. Madia was a moderate Republican until 2002, when his positions on social issues and Iraq led him to the Democratic Party. In 2006, Madia volunteered on the DFL campaigns of Grace Baltich, Andy Borene, Senator Satveer Chaudhary
Satveer Chaudhary
Satveer Singh Chaudhary is an American politician and a former member of the Minnesota State Senate who represented District 50, which includes portions of Anoka and Ramsey counties in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party...
, and Wendy Wilde.
Madia was living in the Minnesota's 5th congressional district
Minnesota's 5th congressional district
Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties. It was created in 1883 and was named the "Bloody...
(Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
), at the time the 3rd Congressional District seat became available. After he announced his run for the 3rd Congressional District seat, he moved back to Plymouth.
After running for Congress in 2008, Madia started his own practice, Madia Law, specializing in business litigation, consumer law, and immigration law.
2008 campaign
Madia was endorsed by VoteVets.org. He was also endorsed by the Teamsters Local 120 and the United Auto Workers Minnesota State CAP Council. Because of his progressive views on LGBT issues, Madia also received the endorsement of Minnesota StonewallDFL LGBT group and eQualityGiving.According to Madia's website, he hoped to "draw on his record of leadership, service, and advocacy to represent the 3rd District in the U.S. Congress. Madia ran on positions such as ending the war in Iraq responsibly, balancing the budget, addressing global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, expanding access to health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, renewing the federal commitment to education, and safeguarding constitutional liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
". He also said that he will abide by the endorsement of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Ashwin Madia earned a majority of delegates at the senate district conventions that took place across the 3rd District on March 1, March 8, and March 15. At the 3rd District DFL endorsing convention, which took place on April 12, 2008, Madia and his final opponent, State Senator Terri Bonoff
Terri Bonoff
Terri E. Bonoff is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate who represents District 43, which includes portions of Minnetonka, Plymouth and Medicine Lake in Hennepin County, which is in the Twin Cities metropolitan area...
, competed with indecisive results through eight ballots. Following the eighth ballot, Bonoff dropped out.
In the November 2008 election, Madia was defeated, receiving 40.9% of the vote.
External links
- Madia for U.S. Congress official campaign website
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org