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Akshay Bhamidipati
Akshay Bhamidipati (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 87. Bhamidipati lost in the Democratic primary on June 11, 2019.
Bhamidipati completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2019
See also: Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2019
General election
General election for Virginia House of Delegates District 87
Suhas Subramanyam defeated Bill Drennan in the general election for Virginia House of Delegates District 87 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Suhas Subramanyam (D)  | 62.0 | 17,693 |
 | Bill Drennan (R) | 37.9 | 10,818 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 25 | ||
| Total votes: 28,536 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 87
Suhas Subramanyam defeated Hassan Ahmad, Johanna Gusman, and Akshay Bhamidipati in the Democratic primary for Virginia House of Delegates District 87 on June 11, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Suhas Subramanyam | 47.0 | 3,052 |
 | Hassan Ahmad | 23.2 | 1,502 | |
 | Johanna Gusman | 18.6 | 1,207 | |
 | Akshay Bhamidipati | 10.8 | 701 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 26 | ||
| Total votes: 6,488 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Akshay Bhamidipati completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bhamidipati's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Address mental health and addiction issues In Virginia, four people commit suicide every day and another four overdose on drugs. We need to make sure we get addicts help, not lock them up. They’re sick, not criminals. Each time a teen commits suicide, we have failed collectively. Let’s increase access to mental health services so that parents don’t need to see their children die before them. Keep your kids safe 2. Keep your kids safe. Guns are a public health crisis – pure and simple. If you need a license to operate a motor vehicle, it’s common sense that you should have some sort of license to own a weapon. Background checks can keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. Gun safety training can help prevent accidents with responsible gun owners. 3.Standby the women of Virginia Virginia let’s be on the right side of history. We can be the last state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. We cannot follow Alabama's dark path. Safeguarding women’s health and reproductive rights are paramount in preserving personal liberty and autonomy - we should expand planned parenthood resources in the Commonwealth.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Healthcare Immigration Infrastructure
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Healthcare Immigration Infrastructure Second amendment Abortion Tax reform
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Personally passionate about reducing healthcare costs. I'm a scientist and cancer researcher after all. The first step on the road to universal healthcare is reducing healthcare costs – without increasing your taxes or premiums. How? Get rid of arcane CON laws that keep hospital monopolies intact and prevent new hospitals from setting up shop. Create a healthcare marketplace that give you, the consumer, access to procedural costs. Regulate the predatory pricing practices so that saline (salt water) doesn't cost $150.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
JFK
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
I love a variety of books and films. I cannot recall any that reflect my political views
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
The ability to truly represent the needs of ones constituents.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Affable, approachable, present
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
To be able to look at all sides of a situation. Understanding not only those that support you but those that don't. A candidate represents all their constituents not just those that voted for them. All voices have a right to be heard in an unbiased fashion. We the people means all of us.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
As a cancer researcher I value facts. I believe that good policy is created through data driven analytics - something I've worked on honing my entire career.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
To be a visible presence in the community. Most legislator hibernate during non-election times and you hear from them only when election season begins. I want to make sure that we create a informal network of HOA presidents that communicate with each other and communicate with the local levels of government.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Protecting the rights of those in district one. Not letting government infringe upon those rights and ensuring laws are fair to all regardless of race, class, religion, national origin, gender, age, or any factor some use to try to divide us.
What legacy would you like to leave?
A country that remains the land of the free and the home of the brave. A country where it matters not where you came from to be able to succeed and provide for your family and a country where individual rights remain respected and not infringed upon by government.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The year long celebrations of the 200th anniversary of our country in 1976. I was 9 - 10 that year.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Paperboy. Nearly 4 years
What happened on your most awkward date?
Having to borrow my roommates car because mine had broken down
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Fourth of July. The weather, food and events.
What is your favorite book? Why?
The Dune series by Frank Herbert.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Paul Atreides from Dune
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My phone. It does everything
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Pour some sugar on me by Def Leppard
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Making ends meet sometimes is a struggle.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
No. I think that when decades of collective experience hasn't moved the ball by much, it's time to look at things from fresh perspectives. We have legislative aides for a reason. All you need are good ideas and the courage to see them through.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
A threat to reproductive rights, a lack of sustainable development, xenophobia, the federal government co-opting our police institutions to use them for immigration enforcement #sanctuarystate.
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
Absolutely. We can have the greatest and most morally correct platform as democrats, but they wouldn't mean any much if we can't get things passed in the legislative bodies. As a consensus builder I want to work with republicans when possible so we do what's right for the people of the Commonwealth first.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
The current process in Arizona seems to be working for the time being. As population shifts then districts will need to be adjusted.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
Have an independent - bipartisan body that draws lines along natural boundaries, major highways, or other easy geographical demarcations. My neighbor should not have to live in the next house district.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
The House is the only institution where the people are represented by population. More populated states have more voices which is balanced by the senate.
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
I do not believe prior experience is required as I also believe in term limits for both senators and representatives.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
Our position with world trade. Healthcare and immigration.
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
House committee of natural re sources. Our state has some of the greatest resources in the nation which must be protected
If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?
I am not a current representative
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
Yes and term limits of no more than 4 terms totaling 8 years.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
I am for term limits
If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?
Leadership is not a goal in representing Arizona.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
There is no one to model after for each Congress is unique and times are always changing. What may have worked well 50 years ago may not work at all today
Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
I have not heard many personal stories. I do hear people's concerns mainly about the cost of healthcare. The problems with the VA and issues facing rural residents access to resources.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
