Upendra Chivukula (born October 8, 1950) is a Democratic politician who currently serves as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities after serving more than 12 years in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he had been the Deputy Speaker.
Upendra Chivukula | |
|---|---|
 | |
| New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commissioner | |
| Assumed office September 30, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Jeanne Fox |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 17th district | |
| In office January 8, 2002 – September 30, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Jerry Green Bob Smith |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Danielsen |
| Mayor of Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey | |
| In office January 1, 2000 – December 31, 2000 | |
| Deputy Mayor of Franklin Township | |
| In office January 1, 1998 – December 31, 1998 | |
| Member of the Franklin Township Council from the 5th Ward | |
| In office January 1, 1998 – December 31, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Shreve |
| Succeeded by | James Vassanella |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 8, 1950 Nellore, Madras State (now in Andhra Pradesh), India |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lucrecia Dayci |
| Residence | Somerset neighborhood of Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey |
| Alma mater | B.E.E. Guindy Engineering College (Electrical Engineering) M.E.E. City College of New York (Electrical Engineering) |
| Occupation | Engineer |
On September 18, 2014, Chivukula was nominated by Governor Chris Christie to a seat on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, to replace retiring NJ BPU Commissioner Jeanne Fox.[1] The New Jersey Senate voted 35–1 to confirm Chivukula to a six-year term on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on September 22, 2014.
In 2014, he ran in the Democratic primary to fill retiring Congressman Rush Holt's seat in Congress, but he did not win the nomination.[2]
Chivukula served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002 to 2014, where he represented the 17th Legislative District. In 2001, Chivukula became the first Indian American elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and the fourth Indian American in the United States to be elected to state office.[3]
Biography
editChivukula served as the New Jersey General Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2007 to 2014. Chivukula was noted for being a progressive legislator and, in coordination with Congressman Rush D. Holt Jr., pushed through reforms to invest in clean energy, infrastructure projects, and high-tech manufacturing jobs.[4]
Chivukula served on the Franklin Township Council from 1998 to 2005. He was first elected to represent the 5th Council Ward in 1997, and won re-election to his 5th Ward seat in 2001. He served as the township deputy mayor in 1998 and as mayor in 2000.[5]
In Franklin Township, he has also served on the Franklin Township Community Foundation, Finance Oversight Committee, Traffic Management Committee, Fire Prevention Board, Emergency Life Support Delivery, Integrated Communications Committee, Emergency Management, Franklin Township Planning Board, Economic Development Committee, Community / Senior Center Steering Committee and the Bicentennial Celebration Committee. Chivukula has served on the Somerset County Affordable Housing Board of Trustees and the Middlesex County Cultural and Historic Commission. He was appointed by then Governor of New Jersey James Florio to be a Public Member of the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, where he served from 1994 to 1997.
He was a member of the delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1996, 2000, 2008, and 2012 and was an alternate delegate in 2004.[6][7]
Chivukula was one of New Jersey's presidential electors casting the state's Electoral College votes after the 2004 presidential election; New Jersey's electors cast their ballots on December 13, 2004, in the State House Annex in Trenton, where all 15 votes were cast for Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.[8]
On November 6, 2012, he ran for Congress against Republican incumbent U.S. Representative Leonard Lance to represent New Jersey's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He was defeated in the heavily Republican district 57%–40% with a vote of 175,662 to 123,057.[9]
On June 3, 2014, he ran for Congress against NJ state Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, NJ state Senator Linda R. Greenstein, and physicist Andrew Zwicker in the Democratic primary for New Jersey's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, to succeed retiring Congressman Rush D. Holt Jr. Chivukula came in third place in the primary with 21.8%, losing to Watson Coleman and Greenstein, who received 43% and 27.8% of the primary vote, respectively.
Chivukula received a B.E.E. from College of Engineering, Guindy (now part of Anna University) in electrical engineering and an M.E.E. degree from City College of New York in electrical engineering.[5] He was born in Nellore, India, and currently resides in Somerset, New Jersey.[10]
In 2015, Chivukula co-authored "THE 3rd WAY"[11][12][13][14] with Veny Musum which advocates closing the broadening gap between the rich and the poor in America and worldwide through Inclusive Capitalism, or Economic Democracy via business initiatives like increasing an employee's equity stake and other methods of increasing profit sharing among all employees.
Election history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bonnie Watson Coleman | 15,603 | 43.04 | |
| Democratic | Linda R. Greenstein | 10,089 | 27.83 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula | 7,890 | 21.77 | |
| Democratic | Andrew Zwicker | 2,668 | 7.36 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph V. Egan (incumbent) | 23,763 | 32.5 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula (incumbent) | 23,331 | 31.9 | |
| Republican | Carlo DiLalla | 13,762 | 18.8 | |
| Republican | Sanjay Patel | 12,281 | 16.8 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Leonard Lance (incumbent) | 175,662 | 57.16 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula | 123,057 | 40.04 | |
| Independent | Dennis A. Breen | 4,518 | 1.47 | |
| Libertarian | Patrick McKnight | 4,078 | 1.33 | |
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph V. Egan (incumbent) | 15,165 | 31.9 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula (incumbent) | 14,862 | 31.3 | |
| Republican | Robert S. Mettler | 8,876 | 18.7 | |
| Republican | Carlo A. DiLalla | 8,627 | 18.2 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph V. Egan (incumbent) | 29,876 | 32.4 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula (incumbent) | 28,030 | 30.4 | |
| Republican | Anthony Mazzola | 18,023 | 19.5 | |
| Republican | Salim A. Nathoo | 16,419 | 17.8 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph V. Egan (incumbent) | 16,456 | 31.2 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula (incumbent) | 15,765 | 29.9 | |
| Republican | Matthew "Skip" House | 10,324 | 19.6 | |
| Republican | Leonard Messineo | 10,257 | 19.4 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph V. Egan (incumbent) | 29,601 | 34.0 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula (incumbent) | 28,239 | 32.4 | |
| Republican | Catherine J. Barrier | 15,748 | 18.1 | |
| Republican | Salim A. Nathoo | 13,507 | 15.5 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph V. Egan (incumbent) | 16,143 | 28.8 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula (incumbent) | 15,956 | 28.5 | |
| Republican | Catherine J. Barrier | 10,988 | 19.6 | |
| Republican | Scott Johnkins | 10,206 | 18.2 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph V. Egan | 27,948 | 33.9 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula | 26,374 | 31.9 | |
| Republican | Catherine J. Barrier | 14,161 | 17.2 | |
| Republican | Anthony Mazzola | 14,085 | 17.1 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula (incumbent) | 1,332 | 64.6 | |
| Republican | Ormsby | 731 | 35.4 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula | 1,403 | 60.1 | |
| Republican | Patricia K. Daniel | 899 | 39.9 | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Chivukula on BPU appointment: I’m ready | Observer. Politickernj.com. Retrieved on November 16, 2016.
- ^ "Chivukula most progressive candidate in 'Rush Holt' Primary Debate"
- ^ 2004 State Government Official Category, accessed April 21, 2007. "Upendra Chivukula is the first Asian Indian American elected to the New Jersey State Assembly and the fourth Indian American in the US to be elected to state office."
- ^ [1] "'Mr Energy' on Investing in NJ Job Powerhouses."
- ^ a b Assemblyman Chivukula's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 23, 2008.
- ^ Biography of Upendra J. Chivukula, accessed April 21, 2007.
- ^ Delegates to the 2004 Democratic National Convention , George Washington University. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ 2004 Presidential Election: Electoral College Members, accessed January 7, 2007.
- ^ Official List. Candidates for House of Representatives For GENERAL ELECTION 11/06/2012. njelections.org
- ^ Assembly Member Upendra J. Chivukula, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 12, 2007.
- ^ "The 3rd Way: Economic Reform or Social Revolution the Solution to Income Inequality... Building "Inclusive Capitalism" Through Employee Ownership * How Wealth Is Created * by Upendra Chivukula — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists". Goodreads.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ Chivukula, Upendra; Musum, Veny W. (October 15, 2015). THE 3rd WAY: ECONOMIC REFORM or SOCIAL REVOLUTION the solution to income inequality... Building "Inclusive Capitalism" through Employee Ownership * HOW WEALTH IS CREATED * (9781494254605): Upendra Chivukula, Veny W. Musum: Books. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1494254605.
- ^ Alyana Alfaro (September 12, 2016). "Chivukula Talks New Book, Bipartisanship and Making Capitalism Work". Observer. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Official List Candidate Returns for U.S. House of Representatives For June 2014 Primary Election, New Jersey Department of State, August 6, 2014. Accessed October 6, 2014.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For November 2013 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 4, 2013. Accessed December 4, 2013.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for U.S. House of Representatives For November 2012 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 12, 2012. Accessed December 12, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For November 2009 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 1, 2009. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For November 2007 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 12, 2007. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For November 2005 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 16, 2005. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For November 2003 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 2, 2003. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For November 2001 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, April 17, 2008. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for Franklin Township Council (5th Ward), 2001 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, April 17, 2008. Accessed July 2, 2012.
- ^ Official List Candidate Returns for Franklin Township Council (5th Ward), 1997 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, April 17, 2008. Accessed July 2, 2012.