Reshma Saujani
Encyclopedia
Reshma Saujani is an Indian-American lawyer
and politician
who lost the 2010 Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 14th congressional district
against incumbent Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
. She was the first Indian-American woman (and the first South Asian American woman) to run for Congress. Currently, she is the Deputy Advocate for Special Initiatives at the Office of the New York City Public Advocate.
descent. Saujani's parents lived in Uganda
, prior to being expelled along with other persons of Indian descent in the early 1970s by Idi Amin
. The Saujanis settled in Chicago
.
Saujani attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
, where she graduated in 1997 with majors in Political Science
and Speech Communications. She attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
, where she received a Master of Public Policy
in 1999, and Yale Law School
, where she received her Juris Doctorate in 2002.
, where she defended securities fraud cases, and on a pro bono basis handled asylum cases. In 2005, she joined the investment firm Carret Asset Management. After Saujani left Carret, its principal owner, financier Hassan Nemazee
, was convicted on felony charges relating to bank fraud carried out over the course of several years at Carret, including during Saujani's time at Carret; she later told the news media that she had had no knowledge of any illicit conduct at Carret. Subsequently, she joined Blue Wave Partners Management, a subsidiary of the Carlyle Group
, the global alternative asset management firm specializing in private equity with a wide variety of investments ranging from defense contractors to nursing homes. She was an associate general counsel at Blue Wave, which invested in mortgage-backed securities; it was closed in the aftermath of the 2008 market collapse. Immediately prior to running for Congress, Saujani was a deputy general counsel at Fortress Investment Group
, which had previously gained notoriety after it was reported that Fortress had invested some of its assets in subprime mortgage lenders who had foreclosed on the homes of Hurricane Katrina
victims in the Gulf Coast.
.
Saujani served on the National Finance Board for Hillary Clinton during Clinton's campaign
for president in 2008
. Following the primaries, she was named Vice-Chair of the New York delegation at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
in Denver.
Saujani has also contributed to the Huffington Post and WNYC
.
She has been featured on NY1
, MSNBC
, FOX, and CNBC
.
. Saujani's previous work for and link to Wall Street
firms was seen as a liability to her credibility and acceptance by Democratic primary voters. Saujani won the support of Jack Dorsey, co-founder and chairman of Twitter
; Randi Zuckerberg, director of market development for Facebook
and sister of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg
; Alexis Maybank, co-founder of Gilt Groupe
; and Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook. Saujani outraised Maloney by almost a 2-to-1 margin in the last quarter of 2009, when Maloney had ceased fundraising following the death of her husband, Clifton Maloney
, who in September had died unexpectedly on a mountain-climbing expedition in the Himalayas
. Saujani's candidacy received the backing of prominent Upper East Side
political fundraisers, including Cathy Lasry, Maureen White, and White's husband, financier Steven Rattner
.
A poll commissioned in the spring of 2010 by the Maloney campaign showed Saujani trailing Maloney by more than 68 points. The same poll found Maloney to hold a favorable rating of 86%. Maloney won the primary by receiving 81% of the vote to Saujani's 19%, winning the Manhattan
, Queens
, and Roosevelt Island
portions of the district across the board by decisive margins. Saujani received 6,231 votes, despite her campaign's expenditure of $1.3 million, spending more than $213 for every vote she received.
On the night she was defeated in the primary by Maloney by a 62-percentage point margin, Saujani told supporters, "I'm definitely running again. What we built was a movement." On December 14, 2010, however, Saujani announced that she would not challenge Maloney again.
Saujani's campaign was the first political campaign to use technology tools such as Square, NationBuilder, and Fast Society.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who lost the 2010 Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 14th congressional district
New York's 14th congressional district
New York's 14th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. It includes most of the East Side of Manhattan, all of Roosevelt Island and the neighborhoods of Astoria, Long Island City, and Sunnyside in Queens...
against incumbent Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
Carolyn B. Maloney
Carolyn Bosher Maloney is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, popularly known as the "silk stocking district", includes most of Manhattan's East Side; Astoria and Long Island City in Queens; and Roosevelt Island.-Early life,...
. She was the first Indian-American woman (and the first South Asian American woman) to run for Congress. Currently, she is the Deputy Advocate for Special Initiatives at the Office of the New York City Public Advocate.
Early life
Saujani was born in Illinois. She is of GujaratiGujarati people
Gujarati people , or Gujaratis are an ethnic group that is traditionally Gujarati-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of Gujarat in western India...
descent. Saujani's parents lived in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, prior to being expelled along with other persons of Indian descent in the early 1970s by Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
. The Saujanis settled in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Saujani attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, where she graduated in 1997 with majors in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and Speech Communications. She attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where she received a Master of Public Policy
Master of Public Policy
The Master of Public Policy , one of several public policy degrees, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the...
in 1999, and Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, where she received her Juris Doctorate in 2002.
Legal and business career
Saujani worked at the law firm Davis Polk & WardwellDavis Polk & Wardwell
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is an international law firm. The firm employs more than 800 attorneys worldwide and is headquartered in New York City. The firm represents many of the world's largest companies and leading financial institutions, and is best known for its corporate and litigation...
, where she defended securities fraud cases, and on a pro bono basis handled asylum cases. In 2005, she joined the investment firm Carret Asset Management. After Saujani left Carret, its principal owner, financier Hassan Nemazee
Hassan Nemazee
Hassan Nemazee styled himself as a multimillionaire Iranian-American investment banker. Nemazee was born in Washington, D.C. on January 27, 1950 and attended Landon School, graduating in 1968. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors from Harvard University in 1972. Nemazee has not...
, was convicted on felony charges relating to bank fraud carried out over the course of several years at Carret, including during Saujani's time at Carret; she later told the news media that she had had no knowledge of any illicit conduct at Carret. Subsequently, she joined Blue Wave Partners Management, a subsidiary of the Carlyle Group
Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group is an American-based global asset management firm, specializing in private equity, based in Washington, D.C. The Carlyle Group operates in four business areas: corporate private equity, real assets, market strategies and fund-of-funds, through its AlpInvest subsidiary...
, the global alternative asset management firm specializing in private equity with a wide variety of investments ranging from defense contractors to nursing homes. She was an associate general counsel at Blue Wave, which invested in mortgage-backed securities; it was closed in the aftermath of the 2008 market collapse. Immediately prior to running for Congress, Saujani was a deputy general counsel at Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group LLC is an investment management firm based in New York, New York. The company went public on February 9, 2007.-History:...
, which had previously gained notoriety after it was reported that Fortress had invested some of its assets in subprime mortgage lenders who had foreclosed on the homes of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
victims in the Gulf Coast.
Politics
Saujani founded "South Asians for Kerry" during the 2004 presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
.
Saujani served on the National Finance Board for Hillary Clinton during Clinton's campaign
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008
New York junior Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton had expressed interest in the 2008 United States presidential election since at least October 2002, drawing media speculation on whether she would become a candidate. No woman has ever won the nomination of a major party in the...
for president in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Following the primaries, she was named Vice-Chair of the New York delegation at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver.
Saujani has also contributed to the Huffington Post and WNYC
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
.
She has been featured on NY1
NY1
NY1, New York One, is a 24-hour cable-news television channel focusing on the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to news and weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "New Yorker of the Week" and the "Scholar Athlete of the Week", and specialty...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, FOX, and CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
.
2010 House election
Saujani challenged incumbent Democratic Representative Carolyn Maloney in the 2010 House electionsUnited States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2010
The 2010 congressional elections in New York were held on November 2, 2010 to determine representation in the state of New York in the United States House of Representatives. New York has 29 seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census...
. Saujani's previous work for and link to Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
firms was seen as a liability to her credibility and acceptance by Democratic primary voters. Saujani won the support of Jack Dorsey, co-founder and chairman of Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
; Randi Zuckerberg, director of market development for Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and sister of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating the social networking site Facebook, of which he is chief executive and president...
; Alexis Maybank, co-founder of Gilt Groupe
Gilt Groupe
Gilt Groupe is a shopping website based in the United states, offering its members merchandise, clothing, home decor, delicatessen food, travel and activities. Gilt Groupe was founded in 2007 and has 3.5 million members...
; and Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook. Saujani outraised Maloney by almost a 2-to-1 margin in the last quarter of 2009, when Maloney had ceased fundraising following the death of her husband, Clifton Maloney
Clifton Maloney
Clifton Harlan Wells Maloney was an American businessman.-Early life:A veteran of the United States Navy, Maloney graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Business School. He was also a serious athlete and adventurer and a member of the Explorers Club, the Alpine Club, and the New York...
, who in September had died unexpectedly on a mountain-climbing expedition in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. Saujani's candidacy received the backing of prominent Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
political fundraisers, including Cathy Lasry, Maureen White, and White's husband, financier Steven Rattner
Steven Rattner
Steven Lawrence Rattner is an American financier who served as the lead auto advisor in the United States Treasury Department under President Barack Obama...
.
A poll commissioned in the spring of 2010 by the Maloney campaign showed Saujani trailing Maloney by more than 68 points. The same poll found Maloney to hold a favorable rating of 86%. Maloney won the primary by receiving 81% of the vote to Saujani's 19%, winning the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
portions of the district across the board by decisive margins. Saujani received 6,231 votes, despite her campaign's expenditure of $1.3 million, spending more than $213 for every vote she received.
On the night she was defeated in the primary by Maloney by a 62-percentage point margin, Saujani told supporters, "I'm definitely running again. What we built was a movement." On December 14, 2010, however, Saujani announced that she would not challenge Maloney again.
Saujani's campaign was the first political campaign to use technology tools such as Square, NationBuilder, and Fast Society.