Our Bureau
Norwich, CT
In a historic move for representation and diversity, 40-year-old Swaranjit Singh Khalsa has been elected as the first Sikh mayor of the city of Norwich in the U.S. state of Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party, Khalsa was previously elected to the city council in 2021, and this election marks a further milestone in local civic leadership.
Khalsa stood out from a field of three candidates—including Republican Tracy Gould and independent Marcia Wilbur—to secure the mayoral election. His win is not only an individual achievement, but also symbolic: he becomes the first baptized Sikh to hold this office in a city that counts just ten Sikh families among its population.
Born and raised in Jalandhar, Punjab, India, Khalsa moved to the U.S. on a student visa after finishing engineering studies at DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology in his hometown. He earned a master’s in computer engineering in the U.S., then launched a construction business in Norwich.
In his role, Khalsa has also engaged actively in community and political work: he has served on the Board of Education and advocated for equity and cultural awareness in his adopted hometown. Norwich sits in New England’s southern region and is part of a state known for its relatively high per-capita income and progressive politics.
Khalsa’s election has been hailed as a breakthrough in representation for the Sikh and South Asian diaspora in America. As he assumes office, residents and community groups in Norwich are watching closely to see how this symbolic and practical leadership will impact civic engagement, multicultural understanding and local governance.
