SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Rep. Ami Bera, who until last night was the lone Indian American serving in the House of Representatives, defeated Republican Scott Jones in his re-election bid. Bera will be joined by three other Indian Americans when he enters the chamber at the beginning of January’s new session.
Bera, now a four-term congressman, narrowly defeated his opponent by capturing 51 percent of the vote. It marks the second consecutive occasion he’s fended off a Republican rival in the election, Bera previously defeated Republican Doug Ose in a close 2014 contest.
While prosecutors cleared Bera of any wrongdoing in the matter, it wasn’t enough for his Republican opponent, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. If Bera truly had no clue what was happening, it only speaks to his lack of attention for detail, he said.
“Usually the person who commits the crime receives the benefit of the crime,” Jones said. “Here, the person who committed the crime is going to prison and the only person to receive a benefit was Congressman Bera by getting elected to two terms.”
“Look, my father made a mistake, and he shouldn’t have done this. He’s not a criminal, but he broke the law,” Bera said to the accusations.
Bera currently serves as the co-chair of the India Caucus, he also accompanied President Obama during a trip to India in 2015 and was one of the Congressmen who facilitated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to Congress this year.
