Is there already a “Draft Goyal” website?

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Hottest rumor of the day (passed to me from co-blogger Anna)? Twenty-nine year-old Jay Goyal is being considered by Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio for the soon-to-be-open Lt. Governor position. I blogged about Jay just last month, speculating he’d make a run for Congress. This wouldn’t be a bad gig either. Strickland is reportedly looking for “someone with considerable youth and a like-mindedness on issues.” From Ohio Daily:

OhioDaily has learned that Governor Ted Strickland’s search for a Lt. Governor may be nearing completion and his short list includes at least two members of the House leadership team : Mansfield-area Representative Jay Goyal, and Toledo-area Representative Matt Szollosi. Goyal is the House Majority Whip and Szollosi serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore.

In 2006, Goyal became the first Asian-American elected to the Ohio Legislature, and at his current age of 29 would likely become one of the youngest (if not the youngest) Lt. Governors in the country. In addition to serving as Majority Whip, Goyal is Vice President of Goyal Industries, a manufacturing firm in Mansfield specializing in metal fabrication and transportation equipment. His full bio appears on his campaign website here, but it doesn’t mention that Bibi Magazine, “the largest-circulated South Asian fashion magazine in the country,” named Goyal as one of the Bibi Sexy 7 : the 2007 Sexiest Men of the Year. [Link]

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p>We last met up with Jay at the DNCC in Denver in August ’08. He was watching everything intently from the nosebleed seats…but still a few rows in front of me . Since then he has been all over Ohio, you know, legislating and receiving awards and stuff:

State Rep. Jay Goyal, D-Mansfield, believes an error was made in the budget, resulting in less funding for mental health than legislators intended.

“As far as we can tell, there was a mistake made in one line item,” Goyal, a member of the legislative conference committee, told the News Journal on Thursday. “We’re looking at some things, and we’re hoping to be able to restore some money there.” [Link]

…

Ohio Rep. Jay Goyal of Mansfield has been given the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police’s Outstanding Legislator Award.

The award was presented to Goyal at the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio State Conference in Worthington, Ohio. The FOP of Ohio is a non-profit organization with more than 25,000 members and close to 200 local lodges, making it Ohio’s largest Law Enforcement Agency representing officers at the local, county, state and federal level. [Link]

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p>The AAA blog has urged its readers to urge Strickland to choose Goyal.

September promises to be a big month for desi politics so stay tuned.

7 thoughts on “Is there already a “Draft Goyal” website?”

  1. That my parents (and now I) live an hour tops from Mansfield and they (and their friends) haven’t mentioned Jay Goyal is just shameful. And he’s in metal fabrication? Think they haven’t yet overcome Neel Kashkari, The Chopra and The Kundra.

    Moved from state with desi governor to one with possible desi lieut. governor. Go me!

  3. Word– ahhh if we’re doing a write up for desi’s in politics. I just saw a front page reddit article on Vivek Kundra, America’s first Chief Information Officer(CIO). Woot.

  5. Subodh Chandra is another guy to look out for in the Buckeye state. He lost the AG’s race but he should make another run at some point.

  6. Wow, this is VERY cool! I LOVE how desis (of ALL ages) are getting interested in politics these days. And I know Jay’s older sis Anjali from NYC!

  7. Thanks for the kind props.

    For those of you who live in Ohio, under Ohio law, you can make up to a $50 per person, $100 per couple, contribution to Jay Goyal’s campaign fund and receive dollar-for-dollar state TAX CREDIT (not deduction–even better) for the contribution. That means you are out ZERO. So why not at least do that, and maybe add a dollar (at least).

    You can contribute online: http://www.jaygoyal.com/

    Of course, if you are not from Ohio but are otherwise a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you can show him some financial love too and help his career. You just can’t get a tax credit for it.