Who Is Dr Hiral Tipirneni? The Indian-American Politician Locked In A Neck To Neck Battle For Arizona Congressional Race

Dr Hiral Tipirneni, an emergency room physician of Indian-American origin, is locked in a fierce neck-to-neck battle with Republican opponent for an Arizona congressional race in the ongoing US election. As of late Wednesday evening, 52-year-old Dr Tipirneni was leading by less than 2,000 votes against Republican incumbent David Schweikert from the sixth congressional district of Arizona. Notably, Schweikert is facing an ethics investigation in the House of Representatives.

Dr Hiral Tipirneni: Family Life And Education

As per an article in Times of India, Dr Tipirneni was born in Mumbai. However, she, along with her parents moved to the US when she was three years old. Unable to afford a babysitter on their meagre income, her parents juggled between looking after Tipirneni and her brother, and running a convenience store in Buena Park, California. Eventually, the family moved to Ohio where her father got a job as an engineer and her mother became a social worker.

As reported by NDTV, it was her mother’s social work that taught Dr Hiral Tipirneni at a young age about the incredible impact small acts of service can have on another person.  Spending her growing up years in a working-class suburb of Cleveland, Dr Tipirneni was inspired to make a career in the medical field after she experienced a childhood illness. She went on to graduate from Northeast Ohio Medical University. Dr Tipirneni met her husband, Dr Kishore Tipirneni, during the first year of medical school. The couple has three children together.

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Medical Career

Dr Tipirneni was the chief resident at the University of Michigan's Emergency Medicine programme. Thereafter, she served as an emergency room physician and cancer research advocate in Atlanta’s Phoenix area. She was also a part of the board of directors of Maricopa Health Foundation – an organisation which supports the county’s public health care delivery system.

Indian-American Lawmaker Set For A Win?

If Dr Tipirneni wins the elections, she would be the second Indian-American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. 55-year-old Pramila Jayapal was the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives back in 2016. Notably, Jayapal was re-elected for her third consecutive term on Tuesday, November 3. Furthermore, if elected, Tipirneni would also become the second Indian-American doctor to be elected to the House. Dr Ami Bera, the first person to achieve the feat, has been re-elected for the fifth consecutive term from California. Dr Tipirneni’s win would make her the second Democrat ever to represent the sixth congressional district of Arizona.

Also Read: Who Is Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal?

In 2018, Dr Tipirneni also contested elections as a Democratic nominee in the special and regular elections for Arizona's eighth congressional district. However, incumbent Debbie Lesko defeated her.

Picture Credits: Fox News

Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.