In a historic first for Washington DC, Rini Sampath, a 31-year-old cybersecurity expert, has entered the mayoral race. Born in Tamil Nadu's Theni in India, Sampath moved to the US at the age of 7 and has been a resident of Washington DC for over a decade.
Sampath's campaign focuses on addressing the 'basics' for residents of DC, including affordable housing, lowering rents, and repairing infrastructure such as potholes and broken sidewalks.
She also emphasizes improving emergency response times for 911 and 311 services, expanding access to grocery stores and fresh food, and investing in cleaner, greener public spaces.
Sampath vows to continue positioning DC as a 'welcoming city,' while opposing US President Donald Trump's anti-immigration agenda.
Her goals for the city also include affordable childcare, and cutting unnecessary high taxes currently faced by DC residents and small businesses.
