Our Bureau
Edison, NJ
Sujit Singh, a technology professional and longtime community advocate who narrowly lost a mayoral race last year, is seeking the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, running on a platform centered on human services, inclusion, and grassroots politics.
“For several years I’ve been involved in nonprofit human services, and I do not see it is represented in our township and our county and across New Jersey,” Singh told IANS in an interview, explaining his decision to enter the congressional race.
Singh said the four-county district is diverse but underserved in key policy areas. “We do see a great need to strengthen human services,” he said, adding that he wants to stand with low-income families, immigrant communities, seniors, and young people to ensure “we have opportunity for all.”
His personal story figures prominently in his campaign. Singh said he grew up in Jhajjar in Haryana near New Delhi in a farming family and spent much of his childhood working in agriculture while attending school.
“I belonged to a farming family for generations,” he said, recalling long hours on the farm during middle school, high school, and school holidays.
After earning an engineering degree, Singh said he migrated to the United States in 1998 for work, arriving with limited resources. “I had only $90 when I landed in the U.S.,” he said, describing America as “a country which is built by immigrants, really hardworking immigrants, skilled labour.”
Singh said his employer supported him from his first day, allowing him to establish himself professionally and build a life in New Jersey. He later raised a family in West Windsor, which he now considers home.
Over the years, Singh said he has built a career spanning more than three decades in technology consulting and public-sector work, focusing on large-scale programs that deliver direct benefits to families and children.
“I chose this work, which resonates with my values,” he said, noting that his professional experience has shaped his approach to public policy and governance.
Singh’s electoral experience includes a run for mayor of West Windsor last year, where he said he came within 164 votes of winning.
“I ran for mayor and last year and came really close to winning,” he said, describing the race as a strong grassroots campaign.
That experience, Singh said, shaped his approach to the congressional contest. “My core campaign work is the grassroots level,” he said, recalling that his mayoral campaign involved knocking on more than 8,000 doors in just over two months. “Connecting to the people right on the door, listening to them” remains central to his strategy, he added.
Singh highlighted the demographic diversity of New Jersey’s 12th District, citing significant Asian, Hispanic, and Black populations, along with a large immigrant and small-business community. “It’s a really diverse and proud to be a strong, thriving and district,” he said.
