Akshay Bhamidipati

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Akshay Bhamidipati
Image of Akshay Bhamidipati
Elections and appointments
Last election

June 11, 2019

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
Image of Suhas Subramanyam
Suhas Subramanyam (D) Candidate Connection
 
62.0
 
17,693
Image of Bill Drennan
Bill Drennan (R)
 
37.9
 
10,818
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
25

Total votes: 28,536
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Suhas Subramanyam
Suhas Subramanyam Candidate Connection
 
47.0
 
3,052
Image of Hassan Ahmad
Hassan Ahmad Candidate Connection
 
23.2
 
1,502
Image of Johanna Gusman
Johanna Gusman Candidate Connection
 
18.6
 
1,207
Image of Akshay Bhamidipati
Akshay Bhamidipati Candidate Connection
 
10.8
 
701
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
26

Total votes: 6,488
Candidate Connection = 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

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


External links

Footnotes


Current members of the Virginia House of Delegates
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Don Scott
Majority Leader:Charniele Herring
Minority Leader:Terry Kilgore
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
Jas Singh (D)
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
Tony Wilt (R)
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
District 51
Eric Zehr (R)
District 52
District 53
District 54
District 55
District 56
District 57
District 58
District 59
District 60
District 61
District 62
District 63
District 64
District 65
District 66
District 67
District 68
District 69
District 70
District 71
District 72
Lee Ware (R)
District 73
District 74
District 75
District 76
District 77
District 78
District 79
District 80
District 81
District 82
District 83
District 84
District 85
District 86
District 87
District 88
Don Scott (D)
District 89
District 90
District 91
District 92
District 93
District 94
District 95
District 96
District 97
District 98
District 99
District 100
Democratic Party (51)
Republican Party (49)