Dipen Khambhatia Wins Maiden Election Bid to Johnsonville City Council in South Carolina
- News reports estimate he is the first Indian American to serve in a municipal office in the state.
Dipen Khambhaita has been elected to a first term to Johnsonville City Council in South Carolina. SCNOW says he is the first Indian American to serve in a municipal office in South Carolina. Khambhatia received 84 votes, or 21.71 percent, to win one of three seats on the council.
“To all those who came out to vote, Thank you,” Khambhaita wrote in a Facebook post. “Your vote means a great deal to me. It shows me that you believe in what I stand for and that you support me in everything that I do. I thank you for your trust and confidence in me and for electing me for this position.”
Indian American Nikki Haley served as the 116th and first female governor of the state from 2011 to 2017.
The London-born-and-raised Khambatia moved to Johnsonville in 2004, “when he purchased the former T&J Market in the city,” according to SCNOW. He has been running the store, which he renamed OM Mini Mart for the past 17 years. He told SCNOW that his customers encouraged him to get involved in the city’s politics. He lives in Johnsonville with his wife and three children.
He said being the first Indian American municipal elected official in the state is a “step forward. He told the local news site that “a lot changed” from when we first moved to Johnsonville. “People were wary because of cultural differences. Now, there’s accepting who we are. It’s a change since we moved here.”