MINNESOTA: First generation American Jigar Ashwin Madia has decided to move into mainstream American politics. A lawyer who served in the Iraq war for six months as a marine has decided to run for Minnesota's Third District, which is currently held by Republican Jim Ramstad. Ramstad is retiring this year and in the previous election Bush won the district with 51 percent of the vote.

Jigar Ashwin parents immigrated to the United States 33 years ago from Mumbai, India, and settled in Plymouth, Minnesota. Ashwin's father teaches various classes in business at the U of M and North Hennepin Technical College. Nirupama, his mother, is a physical therapist. Ashwin is actively involved in SEWA and the Hindu Mandir of Minnesota. Some traditions that he values in the Indian culture are trying to integrate mental peace, forgiveness and generosity.

Ashwin graduated from Osseo High School in Minnesota than went to the University of Minnesota to pursue his bachelor's in political science. From there he moved on to get this law degree from NYU. After law school, Ashwin decided to enlist in the Marine Corps and served four years from 2003-2006. After returning home from Iraq Ashwin has been an associate at a Minneapolis law firm called Robins' Kaplan Miller & Ciresi LLP, where he litigates disputes over intellectual property and other business issues.Experiencing Iraq first hand, Madia is making the war a major issue in his campaign.

He will focus on balancing the budget and fighting global warming, health care issues and education issues. Ashwin mentioned that he really got interested in politics while serving as the student body president at the University of Minnesota.

He really feels as though for the past several years the Bush Administration has made a series of wrong choices for the country and the world.He mentioned that he wants to try to reestablish America's role as the world's leader in human rights and civil liberties.