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Reddy Makes International Headlines
Oct. 13, 2005 -
Thirty-year-old lawyer Shyam Reddy aims to set new standards for the next generation of Indian American leaders as he runs for Secretary of State of Georgia, the primaries for which are scheduled for July next year.
Georgia Trend magazine recently counted him among the "Top 40 Under Forty" leaders in the State.
As a corporate/securities lawyer at Kilpatrick Stockton, a large and prestigious international law firm in Georgia, Reddy believes he has the right credentials.
"My corporate legal experience in representing Fortune 500 companies as well as small and medium-size businesses makes me the best qualified candidate. The Secretary of State's office is a natural fit for me given my background and understanding of business, securities/stock, and elections," he argues.
Describing himself as "fiscally conservative and socially responsible" Reddy has a bachelors degree in political science and a masters in public health from Emory University. He then did law at the University of Georgia.
Born of parents who came to Georgia from southern India in the 1960s, Reddy was born in Carrollton and brought up in Dublin, rural towns in the state chosen by his parents because its climate was similar to their home country.
"We were raised to appreciate opportunities we have, the entrepreneurship, and democracy - American Democracy. They taught us to be very responsible and compassionate," Reddy told IANS. "They reminded us every day that you need to live your life every day as if you are earning your citizenship."
An expert in contract law and founder of the Red Clay Democrats, a 2000 established state-wide organization of young professionals, Reddy said he wanted to usher in a new era of Democratic leadership in Georgia and reclaim lost ground for the party.
Reddy said his campaign was going "really well" and that he posted $150,000 raised with $140,000 cash in hand on June 30, which was the first disclosure deadline.
"I raised five times more than my Democratic opponents, and more than all of the Republicans except for one, the former Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens. Even there, I had two-and-a-half times more contributors than his," Reddy said.
Reddy's objectives include economic development and expanding opportunities for people and corporations, as well as preserving people's right to vote and protecting them from investment fraud.
He declared, "Especially after Katrina, we want truly qualified competent people in positions of authority. So my message is resonating well."
He said he had received all-round support - "From the business community, community activists, the legal community, doctors, Republicans - oh yes - even from Republicans, because as a Secretary of State I will be looking at corporations. I am promoting more competition and more private equity investment."
Reddy's opponents include three other Democrats, Carol Jackson, former State senator; Angela Moore, a businessperson, and Scott Holcomb, a litigator.
"But he (Holcomb) is not a business lawyer," Reddy said quickly, "I deal with the Secretary of State's office 365 days of the year," arguing that his own credentials for running for the office were more solid.
He conceded though that "we each offer something unique. I am trying to usher in a new generation of leadership. I am not running just to run for office, this is what I care about."
Reddy said his father, who hailed from Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh, was an electrical engineer in Dublin.
He said he was excited and humbled by the support he had got so far.
Despite only one full-time staffer and one consultant, Reddy said he was doing great, with the help of some 1,000 volunteers around the state. He aimed to double that number by yearend.
"The more volunteers the merrier, but by end of the year, I would like to have 2,000 volunteers. We are just building up our network of volunteers and the data base, so that come January, we will be able to get them all involved," he said.
At the University of Georgia alone, he said, a "mini-volunteer" group had formed with some 200 volunteers signing up.
"We are trying to get a whole new generation to be inspired and to have faith in politics. I think our generation is the one to lead us out of this quagmire," he asserted.
Reddy said he had not begun travelling around the country to meet Indian Americans, but went to Arizona to meet the leadership of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).
Though he had raised most of his funds from within the state, a few friends and family had contributed to his campaign from outside the state as well.
"I feel the Indian American community has contributed so much to society, including billions of dollars, but we don't have a comparable say in shaping policy. The time has come for us to take advantage of the American Dream and actually be in public service," he said.
Reddy's wife Renee is a management consultant at McKinsey, who joins him on the campaign trail on weekends.
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