Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, known for his commitment to climate resilience and civil rights, declares his candidacy for Congress, pledging to honor his Sikh background while prioritizing environmental, healthcare, and reproductive rights concerns.
A native of New Jersey, Mayor Bhalla has called Hoboken home for over two decades. Before assuming office as Hoboken’s two-term mayor in 2018, he served eight years on the city council. Prior to his political career, he practiced as a civil rights attorney.
Mayor Bhalla engaged with constituents during a meet-and-greet at Jesse Singh’s residence in Crownsville, MD, and Dr. Navin Sethi’s residence, where he articulated his journey, stating, “My journey did not begin with myself, it began with my father. He was an immigrant from India and he came here (the US) for education. He was asked to cut his hair and remove his turban to integrate but he chose to refuse. If he decided not to maintain who he was, I would not be standing here today. My father is an example that anybody can be successful in America and be who you are.”
During his tenure as Mayor, Bhalla focused on bolstering Hoboken’s resilience to climate change. In 2019, he endorsed the City’s Climate Action Plan, with the aim for Hoboken to achieve net-zero energy status by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Reflecting on his father’s influence, Bhalla stressed that success is attainable while maintaining one’s Sikh identity. “He was told that you can’t do both and he rejected that choice,” Bhalla said. “If he didn’t maintain his articles of faith, I wouldn’t be here running to be the first turbaned member of Congress.”
If elected, Bhalla, New Jersey’s inaugural Sikh mayor, would make history as the first turbaned Sikh elected to Congress and only the second Sikh to serve in the nation’s capital.
Bhalla completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.A. in Political Psychology. He then pursued advanced studies at the London School of Economics (L.S.E.) in the United Kingdom, obtaining a Master of Science degree in Public Administration and Public Policy. Subsequently, he earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
