Upendra Chivukula
Member of theNew Jersey Board of Public Utilities
Incumbent
Assumed office September 30, 2014
Appointed by	Chris Christie
Preceded by	Jeanne Fox
Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the17th 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 ofFranklin Township
In office January 1, 1998 – December 31, 1998
Member of theFranklin 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	(1950-10-08)October 8, 1950 (age 75) Nellore,Madras State (now inAndhra Pradesh),India
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lucrecia Dayci
Residence	Somerset neighborhood ofFranklin 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

Upendra Chivukula (born October 8, 1950) is an Indian-AmericanDemocratic politician currently serving on theNew Jersey Board of Public Utilities, who previously representedNew Jersey's 17th legislative district in theGeneral Assembly from 2002 to 2014. He was the first Indian American elected to the New Jersey legislature and the fourth Indian American elected to state office anywhere in the United States.^[1] During his time in office, he was regarded as aprogressive.^[2]

After immigrating to the United States from India, Chivukula served on theFranklin Township council from 1998 to 2005. In 2000, he served as mayor of Franklin. In 2001, he was elected to theNew Jersey General Assembly, representing the 17th district. He was re-elected to six subsequent terms, rising to the position ofdeputy speaker from 2007 until his resignation in 2014.

Chivukula has run twice for theUnited States House of Representatives. In2012, he was the Democratic nominee forNew Jersey's 7th district but was defeated by incumbentLeonard Lance. In2014, he ran instead for the open seat inNew Jersey's 12th district which had been vacated byRush Holt Jr. He finished third in the Democratic primary.^[3] After his defeat, he was appointed to theNew Jersey Board of Public Utilities byChris Christie and was sworn in on September 30, 2014.^[4]

Upendra Chivukula was born on October 8, 1950 inNellore,India.^[5]

In 1972, Chivukula received abachelor of electrical engineering degree fromCollege of Engineering, Guindy inChennai (now part ofAnna University). He received amaster of engineering degree fromCity College of New York in 1976.^[6]

Before running for public office, Chivukula was appointed byGovernor of New JerseyJames Florio to the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners. He served on that body as a public member from 1994 to 1997.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, Chivukula was elected to represent the Fifth Ward on theFranklin Township Council. He was re-elected to a second term in 2001.

In 1998, he served as deputy mayor of the township. He served as mayor in 2000.^[6]

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 theSomerset County Affordable Housing Board of Trustees and theMiddlesex County Cultural and Historic Commission.

In 2001, Chivukula was elected to a two-year term in the New Jersey General Assembly. He was re-elected in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013.

Chivukula served as theNew Jersey General Assembly's deputy speaker from 2007 to 2014. Chivukula was noted for being a progressive legislator and, in coordination with CongressmanRush D. Holt Jr., pushed through reforms to invest in clean energy, infrastructure projects, and high-tech manufacturing jobs.^[2]

He was a delegate to theDemocratic National Convention in1996,2000,2008, and2012 and was an alternate delegate in2004.^[7][8]

Chivukula was one ofNew Jersey's presidential electors casting the state'sElectoral College votes after the2004 presidential election; New Jersey's electors cast their ballots on December 13, 2004, in the State House Annex inTrenton, where all 15 votes were cast forDemocratic Party candidateJohn Kerry.^[9]

In 2012, Chivukula ran for United States House of Representatives against Republican incumbentLeonard Lance inNew Jersey's 7th congressional district. He was defeated in the heavily Republican district by a vote of 175,662 to 123,057.^[10]

In 2014, Chivukula ran for the House again, standing for the open seat created byRush Holt Jr.'s retirement. He finished second behind assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman and state senatorLinda R. Greenstein.^{[citation needed]}

On September 18, 2014, Chivukula was nominated by GovernorChris Christie to a seat on theNew Jersey Board of Public Utilities, to replace retiring commissionerJeanne Fox.^[4] TheNew Jersey Senate voted 35–1 to confirm Chivukula to a six-year term on theNew Jersey Board of Public Utilities on September 22, and he was sworn in on September 30.^{[citation needed]}

In 2015, Chivukula co-authored "The 3rd Way" with Veny Musum. The authors advocate for closing the broadening gap between the rich and the poor in America and worldwide throughinclusive capitalism oreconomic democracy, via business initiatives such as increasing employee equity stakes and employeeprofit sharing.^{[11][12][13][14]}

As of 2007^[update], he was aHindu and lived inSomerset, New Jersey. He was married to Lucrecia Dayci, and they had two children.^[6]

• Indian Americans in New Jersey

• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms –201320122011Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine2010Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine2009Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine2008Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine2007Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine2006Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine2005Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine2004Archived October 9, 2014, at theWayback Machine
• Assembly Member Upendra J. Chivukula,Project Vote Smart

• 1950 births
• Living people
• American Hindus
• City College of New York alumni
• Indian emigrants to the United States
• American politicians of Indian descent
• Asian-American state legislators in New Jersey
• American mayors of Indian descent
• Mayors of places in New Jersey
• American people of Telugu descent
• Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
• New Jersey city council members
• People from Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
• Politicians from Somerset County, New Jersey
• State cabinet secretaries of New Jersey
• 2004 United States presidential electors
• 20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey
• Recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
• 21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature
• Telugu politicians

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